There's always more
by AlicevsWonderland
Summary: Hogwarts AU. When Hiccups secret of being the first to train a dragon is revealed, he struggles to handle his new popularity among the other students. Jack decides not to bother him like many of the others, even though he is also curious about the whole story. Despite this, an unlikely friendship blooms between the two boys and eventually turns into something more. Rated M!
1. Beginnings

**Authors note:** Hello everyone :) This is my first fanfic ever, so I'm very excited to hear what you think of it. English is not my first language, so if you find a grammatical error or misspelled word just let me know and I'll correct it. This first chapter is just an introduction to the story and Jack's relationship with his family and friends. Some chapters will be from Jacks point of view and others from Hiccups point of view, although most will alternate between them in the same chapter. A few will be from their friends' point of views, but those will be a rarity. The story will disregard HTTYD 2 except for minor things such as Hiccups appearance, armor, him and Toothless mapping out the archipelago and such.

Disclaimer: I don't own How To Train Your Dragon, Harry Potter or Rise of the Guardians. I claim no ownership of the associated source material, and this work of non-profit fiction is not intended to infringe upon the copyright of the respective copyright holders of the aforementioned titles. Should any copyright owners claim that this story is infringing upon their copyright, it will be removed.

WARNING: This story is going to contain boyxboy, bad language and graphic violence. If you're offended by that, don't read this story. You have now been warned.

~~~~ Jack ~~~~

Once, Jacks life had made sense. He had lived in a nice little white house with his parents and his younger sister Emma. It had been the most peaceful time of his life. They had a large garden, where he would often find his mother tending to the large array of multi-coloured flowers that grew in nicely arranged flowerbeds, and where he and Emma would play every day in the warm, comforting sun. Whenever he thought about that garden, he could still smell the white roses that his mother was particularly fond of, feel the dirt under his fingernails, the feel of the sun on his pale skin and the sound of his sister's laughter ringing through the air. He could also still vividly remember his dad's office, where the man often spent his time buried in heaps of books and documents. He was never too busy for Jack though, and sometimes the boy would spend a whole day in the office, drawing, reading comic books or telling his dad about random stuff, while he worked on keeping his business thriving. The smell of parchment and the slightly sticky feeling of crayons on his fingers were still etched into his memory. However, in time he began to slowly forget his parents' faces. They had been a family. He had felt safe and protected by his loving parents, and he in turn had been protective of his younger sibling. It killed him when he sometimes realized that yet another thing about them had turned fuzzy in his memory, but he supposed that was one of the curses of time. It seemed that he remembered the feeling of being around them, the smells, the sounds, but less and less of _them_. Their laughter, their facial expressions, their eyes…everything faded more and more as time went on.

Jacks whole life had been turned upside down on that fateful winters' day. He and Emma had pleaded their parents to take them ice-skating. They had gotten new skates for Christmas, and they desperately wanted to try them out as soon as possible. Their parents wanted to wait a few days though, as they had things to attend to that they couldn't just get out off.

He and Emma had decided to go ice-skating themselves. She was 5 years old at the time, and he was 10. They had snuck out of the house around midday, while his parents were having lunch in the diningroom. They had told them, that they were just going to Jacks room to play, but they quietly grabbed their skates and coats from the hallway closet, and made their way out of the house, being very careful about closing the frontdoor as softly and soundlessly as possible. They had both felt such a rush of accomplishment having successfully sneaked out to go skating. Jack sighed. They had been so stupid, but at the time it had all made perfect sense to the two small children.

The lake where they usually went skating with their parents every Christmas was too far away for them to walk, so they both agreed that they would use the large pond nearby to skate on. The round body of frozen water was only a few minutes away, so it was easy to get there for two children on their own, and it was surrounded by trees, so they could have their fun without adults interrupting. They were pleased to find that no one else was using it, so they would have it to themselves. They had put on their skates, and Jack would hold Emma's hand tightly, as she made her way onto the ice on very unsure feet. Jack had always been a natural at ice-skating and he loved it. He remembered the warm feeling in his stomach, as he and his sister had laughed and enjoyed themselves on the frozen pond. He had continued to hold Emma's hand, not wanting her to stumble and potentially hurt herself. They were slowly and easily skating around on the ice, when Emma let go of his hand suddenly. Jack wasn't happy about it, but the small girl had insisted that she wanted to try skating without help just for a moment. Jack had foolishly agreed, thinking that it couldn't hurt if it was just for a little while. Emma slowly and uneasily skated onto the other end of the pond, letting out small cries of triumph as she continued to skate all on her own. Jack had smiled at his little sister, letting her happiness wash over him, making him feel warm inside.

That joy had quickly disappeared, when the ice suddenly began to budge under his sister's feet. He watched in horror, as the ice slowly split into cracks, causing his sister's eyes to become wide and full of fear. "Jack!" she yelled helplessly, and he pulled himself together, even though he was nearly frozen in horror. He forced himself to move closer to Emma, taking it very slow, so the ice wouldn't become fragile under his own feet as well. Emma needed him now.

"Okay, sis. You're going to be fine" he said reassuringly, while trying his best to give her a small smile.

"Help me, Jack. I'm scared" his little sister replied with tears in her eyes. Jack wanted nothing more at that moment but to keep her safe and wipe those tears away.

He inched closer to her, still taking it slow to not disturb the ice. "It's okay Emma. Trust me…we're going to have a little fun". He did his best to sound calm and collected although this was too much for a 10 year old to handle.

"No, we're not!" she yelled, still wide-eyed with fear and trembling slightly.

"Just trust me on this" he said and held out his hand in a calming gesture, while the ice had now begun to crack underneath him as well.

"Jack, please!" his sister pleaded with him, desperate for his help and protection.

"Okay, it's just like hopscotch, Emma. Look…" he started to move again.

"One", the ice complained loudly beneath his feet as he took another step.

"Two", the cracks were spreading through the frozen substance. He was almost there. He was going to make it.

"Three!" he said and lunged himself at his sister, shoving her out of the way and taking her place on the cracked icy surface of the large pond.

She landed on a patch of thicker ice and relief spread across her face instantly, as her lips quirked upwards into a huge grin. Jack was lying on his stomach on the ice, hurting badly all over from landing on the rock-hard surface. He saw his sister's expression and suddenly everything was right with the world again. He smiled brightly at her, so relieved that he had helped her. He had managed to keep her safe. He tried to get on his feet again, but as soon as he did and all his weight pushed down on the ice, it caved in underneath him, and the next thing he felt was shocking, stabbing cold overpowering his senses. He was slowly sinking, but he couldn't even panic, as nothing went through his mind except the icy assault on his body from the freezing water around him. Every cell in his body screamed from the shock, as the burning of this arctic fire invaded him.

Suddenly he felt himself being pulled upwards by someone and shoved out onto the ice, gliding slightly along the smooth, hard surface until he came to a stop. His entire body was shaking violently as he was pushed away from the hole in the ice and the deep dark waters by some unknown force. He opened his eyes and the light was painfully bright, causing him to squint at the scene before him. He could make out the fuzzy image of his dad by the unstable ice. The world came back to him then, and his eyes widened at the sight of his parents struggling to get out of the freezing water, the ice cracking and dissolving all around them each time they tried to grab on and pull themselves out. He could hear Emma crying out for them by the side of the pond, and Jack was forcing himself to do something. He couldn't just stay here frozen, but it was difficult to get up, when his whole body was being stabbed all over with painful cold jabs. He was still shaking all over, the aching ripples echoing through his body, but he somehow managed to get to his feet and stumble towards Emma.

"Emma…" he said, almost not being able to speak, since his teeth were clattering. "G-g-go f-find help!" he ordered her, hoping that she would listen to him. The girl was staring at him with wide eyes brimming with unshed tears.

"G-go!" he yelled to try and shake her out of this trance she was in. She jumped slightly and then bolted towards the house closest to the pond. Jack fell to his knees. He couldn't continue standing up, everything was hurting too badly. The brutal cold was seeping into his bones, making his whole body feel heavy and painful. He watched his parents trying to get out of the water, but failing as the ice continued to break around them, the traitorous white substance denying them any escape. They were both pale as ghosts, their lips blue and their eyes wide with the realization that they were probably going to die right then and there. He saw his mum cramping up, her muscles being attacked by the freezing water, and his dad trying to hold them both up but failing. As their bodies gave in to the burden of the icy water, he watched his mum sink into the depths, closely followed by his dad, only ripples in the water remaining where his parents had just been. Jack screamed in pure, raw, unrestrained anguish. He fell to his side and lay there on the ice, feeling the cold invade his body further, replacing the hurt with a comfortable but frightening numbness. He was getting tired, and even though he had just lost his parents, he wanted nothing more than to sleep. Nothing mattered anymore but sleep. He tried his best to fight it, but the cold was an enemy that he couldn't touch, couldn't see, couldn't hurt. His body was slowly giving up. That was the last thing he remembered before everything went dark.

Jack never went ice-skating again.

He and his sister were taken in by the authorities and placed in the foster-system. It had been the worst time of Jack's life, the uncertainty of his sister's future, the guilt and the grief over losing his parents and not being able to help them, and the loneliness that followed weighing down on him like an anvil. He had spent his time trying to be there for Emma. To stroke her hair and whisper soothing words to her, when she couldn't sleep because she missed their parents, to reassure her that they would always be together when Jack was actually terrified that someone would split them up, and to try and make her laugh when everything seemed dark and hopeless. He had existed solely for her back then. He had no room to truly deal with his own emotions, so he pushed them down and kept going.

He and Emma were lucky, he knew now. They had lost their parents and were stricken with raw grief, but at least they didn't lose each other, as many other siblings in the foster-system did. After all, how often did someone want to adopt two children at once? Nevertheless, that's what happened with Jack and Emma. They had been adopted six months after their parents' deaths. They had been given a new home with two loving people, who tried their very best to give them everything they needed and to be there for them. Nicolas St. North and his wife Anna had turned things around for the two siblings. Naturally, they could never replace their parents, but they already knew that, and they never tried to. They let the children grieve, listened to them when they cried, missing their parents, or when they wanted to reminisce about something. They gave them all the time they needed and were understanding, supportive and loving every day. Looking back, Jack couldn't understand how lucky they'd truly been, not just being adopted together, but actually adopted by someone so wonderful. It had been seven years now, and even though Jack could never call them mum and dad, he did see them as his family. Emma however, had taken to call them mum and dad fairly quickly, but Jack had always assumed it was because she had been so young, when they were adopted. She couldn't remember their parents as clearly as Jack could. It was never a problem though, calling their adoptive parents different things, and they never tried to change Jacks mind on the subject, which he was grateful for.

Nicolas St. North was a huge man, who in many ways resembled Santa Claus so much that Emma had been convinced for a while that he was just that. He owned his own toy company, he was large with white hair and a long beard, he had a preference for red clothing and he was downright jolly most of the time. It didn't help that he was probably the most Christmassy person Jack had ever met. Christmas was the large Russian man's favorite time of the year, and every December their house was completely covered with lights and decorations – both on the inside and the outside. They always had a huge Christmas tree, usually the biggest North could find, and they would all decorate it together while listening to Christmas songs. North always arranged fun activities for them all of December, such as building snowmen, snowball fights, going to Christmas markets, shopping for presents, baking cookies, making Christmas decorations and all sorts of other things. Jack had quickly become very fond of Christmas in their new home, slowly replacing the pained memories of that season with new, happy ones.

Their adoptive mother Anna was understanding and kind, always wanting to know how the children felt and what they thought. She often asked their opinions about anything from which new color to paint the livingroom to encounters with other people that had upset her or left her in doubt somehow. She was a very colorful person, and in many ways she had brought color into Jacks grey life. She had pale skin like Jack, and some very interesting eyes that were almost purple. Her hair was kept short, and it was dyed in different shades of blue, purple and green. She was basically a walking rainbow most of the time, seeing that she also wore colorful makeup and clothes, and her appearance was in stark contrast to her conventional profession of being a dentist. Jack and Emma had quickly become acquainted with her love and fascination with teeth. When she met new people she always studied their teeth, sometimes making them uncomfortable, and she was very insistent on keeping Jack and Emma's teeth white and problem-free by making sure they brushed them three times a day and flossed as well. Jack was very fond of his colorful adoptive mom, and she always seemed to be in tune as to how he was feeling. If he had a bad day, she seemed to sense it, and it usually ended up with him telling her all about it and receiving her warm and supportive comfort.

It had been a shock to the family, when Jack, only a year after being adopted, had received his Hogwarts letter. North and Anna, being muggles, took a while to get used to the whole "secret magical world" thing, but Jack did as well. At first he was as excited as he could ever remember being. Magic was real! And he was going to be taught! His excitement was quickly replaced by dread though, as he realized that Hogwarts was a boarding school, and he would be living there all year except for the holidays. He didn't want to be separated from Emma. He needed to protect her, to keep an eye on her, making sure that she was safe and happy. His little sister didn't want to be separated from him either, but in the end she had actually encouraged him to go – as long as he promised they could write each other and that he'd always be home for the holidays. Needless to say that Jack made this promise, and even if she hadn't asked, he still would have done those things. He needed her as much as she needed him, he had realized.

His whole world had been changed, when he'd started at Hogwarts. He'd made friends that he couldn't live without now, seeing them as his second family, he'd seen and been taught so many wonderful things and often he was still struck by awe of magic itself. He had had so much fun and so many awesome experiences at Hogwarts for the last five years, and those would always be a part of him. Yes, Hogwarts had changed his life, just like his life had been changed, when he was adopted. Little did he know, that this year at the school that was his second home, was going to change his life once again and in very unexpected ways.

~~~~ Jack ~~~~

The platform was buzzing with the excitement of students eagerly awaiting the train to arrive. It was a new school year at Hogwarts, and students were reuniting with their friends across the platform, embracing each other, greeting each other warmly and talking excitedly about their summers. The prospect of learning new magic skills and once again being in the old familiar castle that began to feel more and more like a home seemed to increase the buzzing excitement that was drowning the platform in noise.

Jack was by himself, leaning nonchalantly on a large stone pillar waiting to spot any of his friends, while his grey owl let out a loud hoot in its cage, causing Jack to jump slightly at the unexpected sound slicing through the sea of noise. He snickered to himself, being almost scared to death by his own owl. He tugged at the sleeves of his school robe, not ever really feeling too comfortable in it, even though he'd had to wear it to school for five years. He instantly missed wearing his favorite blue hoodie that looked like it had frost on it. It was soft, familiar and always seemed to surround him with a certain feeling of safety, even though it was just a piece of clothing. He chuckled. With his white hair, pale skin and the blue hoodie, it was no wonder that many knew him as Jack Frost at Hogwarts. His love of winter and the cold just added to the nickname. His trademark blue hoodie had been a gift from Emma one Christmas a few years ago. She said it had reminded her of him and all the happy times they had shared playing in the snow. He had been so touched by her words and the soft look in her brown eyes that he began wearing it all the time, and soon he was reminded by his sister in a warm, comforting way, every time he put the familiar blue item of clothing on.

He was pulled out of his thoughts suddenly, as he spotted a very recognizable head of wild, curly red hair. Not that it was difficult, anyone could spot Merida's untamed lion mane from miles away. He smiled to himself, thinking how her personality was completely in synch with that uncontrollably hair of hers, before he started moving through the crowd towards her. _"I heard he was the first to…", "...try out for the Quidditch team this year?", "…hope it's going to be professor…"_, Jack ears were filled with parts of conversations between excited students brimming with the joy of seeing their school friends again after a long summer of separation, as he slowly pushed through the sea of people trying to reach Merida. He could relate. Even though he and his friends were good at keeping in touch over the holidays, it just wasn't the same as spending every day with them at school. Living at Hogwarts, spending time together every day both in classes and in their spare time, friends quickly became much more like family. Jack pushed past a blonde girl, who at the same time turned around and accidentally knocked their heads together. Jack felt a sharp twinge of pain going straight through his forehead, while everything went blinding white for a few seconds, while he recovered.

"Ooff!" he heard a familiar voice say, and when the white light left, he was looking straight into the annoyed sky-blue eyes of Astrid Hofferson.

"What are you doing, Frosty?" she asked, furrowing her brow and there was a slight irritation in her voice, but not enough for her to actually seem angry. Nothing unusual there. Astrid always seemed to be a little annoyed in one way or another.

Jack smiled sheepishly and rubbed the back of his neck. He and Astrid were both in Gryffindor as well as being in the same year, so they spent a lot of time around each other in classes and they knew many of the same people. They were also both on the Quidditch team, alongside Merida. They were not actually friends though, as Astrid's tough, commanding personality often clashed with his mischievous one. He _had_ seen her smile and even laugh, but she was way more serious, than what Jack preferred. She seemed to be all hard work, while he was all fun. That was never illustrated more clearly, than the time he had put a frog in Astrid's bag and it had pooped all over her homework. Jack had been close to choking on his own laughter, fighting back the tears and his stomach threatened to burst, but Astrid had_ not_ been happy. She had slammed him up against a wall, given him a deadly glare, and said that because of him, she had to do the assignments again. She told him, that if he ever played a prank on her again, she would end him. Now, Jack wasn't generally threatened by girls, but Astrid, even though she could be nice and even approachable some times, was not like other girls. She was the captain of the Quidditch team, she got good grades in almost all of her classes, she was involved in extra-curricular activities_ and_ she had a full social life. Many of the guys at school drooled over her, every time she walked by. Jack would never admit it, but he was impressed that she managed all of these things. Regardless of their different personalities, they were civil with each other, always saying "hi" when they passed each other in the hallways or other places. However, he slightly resented her for having sucked so much of the fun out of Quidditch. She was an almost tyrannical, slave driver of a captain and sometimes she and Jack would end up fighting over their disagreements.

He was reminded, that she had actually asked him a question, when he heard her clear her throat.

"Sorry Astrid, I didn't see you there" he said, giving her a confident wink.

She sighed, the irritation in her earlier tone of voice subsiding. "Fine, just look where you're going, Frost".

He nodded, and then continued going on his way towards Merida. Luckily she hadn't moved, still standing by a group of first years eagerly trying to make their first friends at Hogwarts, looking bored while she played with one of her curls. Jack smiled to himself, while doing his best to slowly walk towards her from behind. He was careful not to get in her line of sight, and when he was close enough to touch that wild curly mane, he threw himself at her

"MERIDA!" he exclaimed overdramatically, while throwing his arms around the girl pulling her into a tight embrace, her face being held firmly against his chest.

"I've missed you terribly darling!" Jack said in a thick, snobby accent, while muffled sounds came from his red-haired friends' face that was currently obscured by the fabric of his robes.

"No, don't speak! There are no words! Every minute away from you is tragedy" he said in his best attempt of sounding like a character from a play.

Merida however, had had enough, and poked him hard in the side, causing him to yelp in a very unmanly way and jump back slightly. Merida's face was flushed from the warmth of having being held in place on his chest, but her eyes were happy and amused.

"Frost, you idiot!" she said, her slight hint of a Scottish accent a welcome sound in Jacks ears. Her accent had lessened considerably over the years though, so there was only a faint trace left now. When Jack had first met her at 11 years old, he had barely been able to understand her. That didn't stop them from being friends though. He flashed her a bright grin.

"Don't pretend that you didn't like it, milady. I am not through courting you" Jack replied in a playful manner that his friend knew well and did a quick bow.

Merida shook her head and snickered, before saying "Well, I am not interested in marriage, mr. Overland. You'll never make an honest woman out of me".

Jack clutched his chest in a mock hurt way, his eyes faking a sad expression. "You hurt me, milady. You are an evil breaker of hearts, a succubus drawing men in just to crush them!" he replied accusingly while pointing directly at her face.

Merida shook her head, her blue eyes filled with laughter. She closed the distance between them and wrapped her arms around Jack in a tight hug without anyone being forced into anyone else's chest.

"So…ready for another year"? Jack asked as they had pulled apart once more, but he already knew the answer. After all, he had known the girl for five years.

Merida sighed, rolling her eyes in response. "Come on, Snowflake. You know me. Quidditch is going to be great as usual, but I'm not sure I'll live through another year of potions"

Jack snickered. Potions were Meridas least favourite subject, to put it mildly.

"Sure you will, Mer. I'll help you" Jack said encouragingly. He had a knack for potions, and he didn't mind helping out a friend, as he had done before.

Merida smiled sincerely, and opened her mouth to say something, when they were interrupted by a familiar tall good-looking guy with brown hair.

"There you are! Finally!" the brunet teen said, faking a groan, but smiling warmly afterwards.

"Flynn!" Jack and Merida both exclaimed with bright grins on their faces, before grabbing the brunet and pulling him into a quick group hug.

"How are you, mate?" Jack asked with a happy smirk, glad to see another one of his friends after a long summer.

Flynn shrugged. "I'm okay, I guess. It didn't work out with that girl I was sort of seeing though" he replied, not really seeming too affected by it.

"Oh right…Heather?" Merida asked, pointing a finger as she said the girl's name, and Flynn nodded in response.

Jack remembered Flynn mentioning the girl in some of his letters over the summer, but as always when it came to Flynn, it was just a fling. Flynn was a real ladies man, and since he was also one of the most popular guys in school, he usually always had some kind of fling going. Jack and Merida were both used to it by now.

"Sorry, Flynn" Jack said sincerely but Flynn did a waving motion with one of his hands, as if he was dismissing Jacks words.

"Nah, don't be. Like I said, it's okay. There are plenty of fish in the sea, right?" Flynn replied reassuringly, a bright smile spreading across his face.

Jack and Merida both chuckled. Flynn was never one to be depressed over a girl. He was a good-looking guy, tall and muscular but not too much, thick and soft brown hair and deep brown eyes. He made a lot of the girls at school (and anywhere else) go soft in their knees, much to Jacks amusement. Jack didn't do too bad himself though. He and his friends were actually all quite popular at school, having plenty of acquaintances and if one of them were separated from the others at some point, there were usually always someone they could talk to.

"Anyway", Merida said, but was quickly drowned out by the sound of the train approaching the platform. The excited noises that were already engulfing the platform from all the happy students increased, and as the train slowly stopped, a loud screeching noise hurt Jacks ears.

"Anyway" Merida tried again. "Have you guys seen Mavis? It's not going to be long before we have to leave".

Flynn and Jack both shook their heads, but looked around them briefly, to see if they could catch a glimpse of the black-haired girl in question.

"Well, I'm sure she's going to be here any minute, so maybe we should just find a compartment, before they're all full of first years and Slytherins" Flynn joked, making a face.

Jack smiled and Merida quickly moved towards the train, as if that prospect was truly repulsing to her, the two boys following close behind. The noise continued inside the train, students walking and running trying to find their friends or somewhere to sit, all the while chatting loudly about anything and everything. Jack followed the bunch of wild curls that was Merida, Flynn walking behind him, through the narrow passageways of the train, before Merida let out a small cry of success and pushed open a door to an empty compartment. The three teens quickly got inside and slumped down comfortably on the soft seats.

"That's better" Flynn sighed as he placed his feet on the empty seat next to him.

Merida just rolled her eyes, while Jack watched them in amused anticipation, sensing some banter coming up.

"You are such a lazy bastard" Merida said hopelessly, but Flynn and Jack both knew, that she was joking. Well, not _quite _joking since Flynn _was _a lazy bastard, but there wasn't any malice behind the red-heads words.

"Oh shut it, Curly, I'm comfortable" Flynn replied cheekily, his lips twitching. Merida's eyes narrowed instantly.

"Uh oh" Jack said, smirking. Merida absolutely hated Flynn's nicknames for her, and Curly was by far the worst one in her opinion.

"Don't…call…me…Curly!" she exclaimed, throwing a pack of chocolate frogs violently at Flynn, hitting him straight in the face.

"Ouch!" he exclaimed and rubbed his nose, where the packet had hit him. Merida was on the Quidditch team with Jack and Astrid and she was a lot stronger than she looked. She also had a mean punch, Jack knew from one time where a prank went terribly wrong and she actually thought he was some kind of axe murderer trying to attack her. He'd had a very sore, black eye for a week.

"Well well, Red, if you were trying to get into my pants, you only had to say so. No need to bribe me with chocolate frogs" Flynn said in a seductive, playful voice that made Jack sputter with laughter. Flynn's sexual comments were a regular part of the unique banter between Merida and him, because the thought of either one having a crush on the other was truly ridiculous and absurd, which made it hilarious to joke about.

Merida's eyes twinkled with amusement but were still narrowed and threatening to keep up the act. "I'll crush you, Rider. You've just made a very powerful enemy", she growled in a very low and harsh voice.

Flynn chuckled and was about to retort, when the compartment door opened, revealing the very girl, they had been looking for on the platform. The three teens smiled warmly at their new arrival and all stood up to give her some welcome hugs.

"Hi guys, I've missed you" Mavis said happily, pushing some of her black bangs away from her eyes. She slumped down on the seat next to Flynn, who had to keep his feet on the floor now. Replies confirming that they'd missed her too went around before Jack said "So, how did it go with that competition you wrote about in your last letter?"

Mavis nodded and smile fondly at him. "It went well, actually. I got second place" she replied and the three other teens beamed.

"That's great!", "Well done!", "Congratulations!", they drowned each other out with their proud replies.

Mavis was an artistic soul, and this summer she had finally braved herself and entered a competition for teenage artists held by the local art museum. Jack had always been impressed by her skills, and she had even painted him once a few years ago, while he was sitting under a tree relaxing. She had let him keep the painting, and he had cherished it so much, he had hung it up in his room back home. It meant a lot to him that she would create something like that just for him.

Mavis gave them a shy smile. "Thanks guys. I guess it won't be the last time I do it".

"Of course it won't!" Flynns reply came instantly. "You have a real talent, Mav, you should keep using that". Mavis smiled fondly at him and nodded.

Jack smiled as well. Flynn was a popular ladies man and a lazy bastard, but he was also a good friend, something that most people at school didn't get to see, because they didn't know him well enough. He cared a lot about the wellbeing of his friends, and he was never too busy to listen or help out.

While Merida, Flynn and Mavis quickly became engulfed in conversation about which electives they were going to have this year, Jack looked out of the window as the train slowly started to move. He sighed happily. He was back with his friends, and soon he would be back at the school, that had become like a second home to him. This was going to be another great year filled with fun and games.


	2. Secrets spread like Fiendfyre

~~~~ Jack ~~~~

Students were brimming through the massive stone passageway, making their way to the Great Hall, and the noise of their enthusiastic conversations was overpowering Jack's hearing even more than usual. He and his friends made their way through the crowds, brushing against robes and accidentally bumping shoulders with several other students. As they finally managed to get out alive from the overwhelming amount of students all heading to the same destination, they comfortably took their seats at the Gryffindor table. Only a few Gryffindors were already occupying the table, and seeing as they were several years younger than Jack and his friends, the four teens kept to themselves. While Merida and Mavis began discussing the piece of artwork that had won her second place, Jack quickly glanced around the Great Hall, his ice blue eyes taking in the students all around him. Something seemed different. He examined the students sitting at their respective House tables, and many of them seemed to be sitting closely, almost whispering to each other, as if they were discussing something that wasn't meant to be heard by everyone. He observed a red-haired Hufflepuff girl widen her eyes as a pale boy with black hair whispered something to her, and they seemed to be completely engulfed in their discussion. Jack turned his attention to his friends, who apparently hadn't noticed anything, as they were still occupied by their own conversation.

"Hey…" he interrupted Mavis, as she telling Merida and Flynn something about the artist that won first place in the competition. "Do you guys notice something different around here? Seems like everyone's talking about something" he asked curiously, throwing a quick glance over his shoulder at some Ravenclaws who were also seemingly discussing something exciting.

Merida snorted in response. "Of course they are. They just got back from the summer, everyone's talking" she replied, as if Jacks question was absurd and the answer was right in front of him.

"No, that's not what I mean…Look around, everyone seems to be discussing something…It's like that time where Lucas Harrison peed his pants, the first time he saw a Boggart" Jack explained to his friends. That secret had spread like Fiendfyre, and even though Jack truly felt sorry for the kid, it was also a little amusing. Just a tiny bit. His friends' eyes darted around the Great Hall as Jacks had done a moment before, and they quickly agreed that something was up. However, there wasn't any need to find someone who knew what was going on, because at that moment a familiar brown-haired boy with a huge grin on his face sat down next to Jack.

"Jim!" Flynn greeted the brunet excitedly. "Just the guy we need"!

Jim Hawkins was that kind of guy, who knew almost everything that went on with the students at Hogwarts. If anyone knew what was going on, it was him.

Before they could ask him though, he immediately said "Have you guys heard about Haddock?", his eyes full of excitement. A confused frown fell upon all four teens, before Flynn told him, that they hadn't.

Jack found himself hoping that the news wasn't too terrible. He didn't have much to do with Hiccup Haddock, but he had always felt sympathetic towards the boy. They had shared several classes over the years (since Gryffindor and Ravenclaw were often put together to keep Gryffindor and Slytherin apart and pairing Slytherin with the amiable and peaceful Hufflepuffs seemed like the most promising solution), and he was easily one of the smartest people in their year, while also being sarcastic and incredibly quick-witted. Jack and his friends had often laughed, when they'd overheard one of the boy's clever comments – usually directed at jerks who tried to bother him or his two friends. He was also accident-prone, and Jack had seen him trip and stumble several times over anything from a tree root to his own feet. It was probably due to that prosthetic leg of his. Which no one really knew the story behind. He had come back from the summer holidays two years ago with a missing limb and that rumor had quickly spread throughout the school, as losing a limb was pretty out of the ordinary. It had spurred all kinds of strange theories from the students at Hogwarts, and it didn't exactly help that almost no one had actually seen the guy's prosthetic, as he kept it hidden beneath his black trousers and his shoe. Once Jack had overheard someone speculate that Haddock must have got his foot stuck under a car, because that was how his uncle had lost his foot. Made sense he thought sarcastically. The brunet Ravenclaw used to be a short, scrawny fishbone of a boy, smaller than the average boy their age, but in the last year he had gone through one hell of a growth spurt. He was now a tall guy, almost as tall as Jack himself, and he had developed a lean build that fitted his height. He still wasn't a big, muscular guy, but he was no longer scrawny either.

Jack observed Jim, whose eyes were wide with….giddiness? He furrowed his brow in confusion. Why would Jim be so excited about a rumor about Haddock? He feared that this was going to be very bad and he instantly felt sorry for the brunet boy. Something big had clearly happened to cause this kind of commotion from the other students.

"Well…it turns out that he has a dragon!" Jim exclaimed happily, brimming with joy at revealing this to more people.

"Wait….what?" Flynn asked, looking just as baffled as Jack felt right now. What the hell was he talking about? No one had a dragon. They were huge fire-breathing reptiles that could end you in a few seconds.

"That's impossible" Merida said, disregarding what Jim had just told them. "No one has a dragon, it's not a pet" she finished, voicing Jack's own thoughts on the matter.

Jim shook his head in reply. "It's true! Someone overheard Professor Lunar telling one of the new professors about it. Apparently Haddock was the first person to ever tame a dragon, and he defended his village on the back of his dragon against a massive dragon queen!" Jim explained, looking even more giddy now than before.

"Pff, that's not true" Merida said rolling her eyes, while Jack suddenly had the urge to actually see if Haddock was present in the hall. He scanned his blue eyes over the students sitting by the Ravenclaw table, but didn't spot that mess of brown hair that belonged to Haddock. He did however see the two friends that were usually glued to the teen's side. A large, heavy boy with short blond hair and nervous darting eyes sat next to a girl with long golden hair almost down to her feet that also seemed to be glancing around her surroundings anxiously. Jack furrowed his brow in confusion. Why were Ingerman and Corona so on edge? Did they know, what was being said about their friend? Were they nervous because it wasn't true, or…because it was?

"Well how do you know?" Jim asked Merida, snapping Jack out of his thoughts.

"Because it's Haddock!" Merida said, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. Jack wasn't sure he bought that argument though. Sure, it seemed pretty impossible for a student, a brainy sarcastic Ravenclaw at that, to be a dragon tamer, but…impossible things had happened before right? Before Jack was 11, he didn't even know magic existed, and now here he was, at a magical school learning to wield that ancient power. Since then he had always tried to keep his mind open to things that seemed unlikely.

"I don't know, Merida, if Professor Lunar was talking about it, there must be some truth in it, even if we all think it's impossible" Mavis replied calmly, being the voice of reason and logic as always.

Jack didn't really know what to add to the conversation, as he was still feeling baffled and confused. He didn't know Haddock well, but he still thought he had had _some_ idea of who the guy was. If this turned out to be true, then the brunet Ravenclaw had taken everyone completely by surprise. Jack had trouble picturing the sarcastic teen with a large dragon with sharp teeth and the ability to reduce him to ash in mere seconds. But on the other hand, if it wasn't true…why was this rumor suddenly spreading? Jack usually didn't pay much attention to rumors, as they were often wrong. Once, someone had spread a rumor that Jack was secretly in love with Astrid. He snorted at the idea. But what fake rumors usually always had in common was that they revolved around something embarrassing or otherwise negative. This rumor about Haddock was amazing. So why would anyone spread it, unless it had some truth in it? Flynn's voice suddenly sliced through his thoughts, and brought him back to reality.

"Jackie!" Flynn exclaimed, waving his hand in front of Jacks eyes. He sighed. Merida wasn't the only one who was subjected to Flynn's nicknames, but he knew that Flynn only did it to show his affection, so he didn't mind it that much to be honest.

"What? Sorry…" he mumbled, a hand rubbing the back of his neck.

"You were gone for a while there" Mavis said with amusement in her blue eyes.

"Yeah, I was just thinking", he said while shrugging. It wasn't a lie but Jack would die before admitting that he was busy thinking about Haddock of all people.

At that very moment the overpowering buzzing noise of chatter that had enveloped the Great Hall in a blanket of sound suddenly died down, with the exception of whispering and giggles. Jack turned his head to see none other than Hiccup Haddock walk into the Great Hall in the middle of a scattered trail of students all heading towards their respective house tables. He looked slightly different than Jack remembered. He had grown even more over the summer, and he was easily as tall as Jack now – maybe even a little taller. His hair was longer too, and the brown mess of locks seemed fuller and was tussled in a casual way. This change really suited him, Jack thought. He looked good. Well, good for a guy that is. He definitely didn't look like the sarcastic, introverted know-it-all that Jack knew he was. He observed the brunet, along with practically everyone else in the hall. He was not surprised to see several girls giving Haddock appreciative glances. There's a change Jack thought amused. Haddock was usually completely ignored by girls. Before it had clearly been because he was a short, scrawny boy, but after he had grown it hadn't really changed either. Maybe it was because he was still an introverted guy, not bothering to be social outside of his two close friends. Now it seemed Haddock's status with the girls at Hogwarts had changed.

As he approached the Ravenclaw table, Haddocks body language was tense and nervous. He fidgeted slightly with the hem of one of his sleeves on his school robe. He didn't know, Jack realized. He had no idea, what people were saying about him. Haddock wasn't exactly the most confident person in the first place. He had always seemed shy, so Jack thought this must be his worst nightmare. Everyone watching him, talking about something that he didn't know about. The brunet quickly made it over to Ingerman and Corona, who both looked at him nervously. When he had taken a seat by the table, Ingerman whispered something to him and watched him almost apologetically. Haddock's eyes widened for a few seconds and Jack tried his best to analyze what was going on. He couldn't tell if Haddock was shocked about a lie someone was spreading about him or shocked that his secret had been revealed though. Everyone else in the hall were still whispering, giggling and shooting curious looks at the Ravenclaw, who had decided to stay frozen and just stare at his hands for now. Definitely a defense mechanism, Jack thought to himself. Probably one of many the Ravenclaw had in his arsenal. This kept him shielded from having to meet anyone's eyes and clearly signaled that he wanted to be left alone. The blonde girl next to him nudged him gently, her concerned green eyes looking at him. She was obviously trying to get him to talk to her, but the brunet remained quiet, looking at his hands. Ingerman said something to him, but Haddock just shook his head, briefly meeting the other boy's eyes, before he looked down at his hands again. A few of the other Ravenclaws in Haddocks year moved closer to the trio, obviously wanting to try to engage him. A boy with curly brown hair said something to Haddock, who gave him an annoyed glare and stayed quiet. Ingerman muttered something to the boy, who, along with the others, scooted back to where he sat before, clearly offended that they didn't get the answers they wanted. Jack smirked at the pouting boy with the curly hair and the other, clearly disappointed Ravenclaws. Obviously, Haddock wasn't one to just share his privacy with anybody. Well, Jack already knew this, as the guy usually only hung out with his two friends, so it was safe to assume, that he wasn't someone who would tell strangers or even acquaintances about personal things.

The arrival of the headmaster, Professor Lunar, who slowly walked towards the podium, quieted down all whispers and giggles. The headmaster always had an air of quiet but powerful authority surrounding him, which demanded the respect of all students in the magical school. He was a tall, pale man with short white hair and green eyes, and even though he was authoritative, he was never unfair or unnecessarily strict. He managed to keep a perfect balance of discipline, kindness and respect, which was a rare thing in Jack's opinion. He had always liked the headmaster and so did his friends. Tsar Lunar was a very powerful and respected wizard, but that never seemed to go to his head, as he, despite his reputation and his position as the Headmaster at the prestigious magical school, always acted with humility.

The teachers were already sitting in their places, when the pale Headmaster arrived at the podium. He turned to the students, a restrained but genuine smile on his face.

"Welcome!" he exclaimed in that calm but authoritative voice of his, so even the students sitting in the back would have no trouble hearing him. "...to new school year! Only a few short messages, then you'll have time to enjoy the feast" he said.

"Please welcome a new teacher, Professor Creek, who will be teaching potions" Lunar declared, while the students started to clap, as it was expected of them to welcome a new teacher this way. Merida groaned, already dreading taking the potions class. When the clapping died down, their headmaster continued.

"Also, this year Care of Magical Creatures will be taught by Professor Lucero, as Professor Brown is on temporary leave". Jack wondered why Professor Brown would need to take leave, it didn't seem like him. He was a very dedicated teacher. Some would probably say a workaholic. He practically lived for his job and his research on magical creatures, so what could be so important that he had to take a break from his beloved position as Care of Magical Creatures teacher?

"As always….the Forbidden Forest is strictly off limits to all students, unless they are taken there by a teacher as part of detention or a class" the headmaster said, in a slightly strict tone while looking at the new first years who were standing around the podium, waiting to be sorted into houses. Obviously, he wanted it to sink in Jack thought. He suddenly felt a tap against his foot and looked at Flynn, who sat across from him, while Professor Lunar continued with basic information, that Jack didn't need to hear again, as he had heard it every year for six years now. Flynn passed him a note and Jack unfolded it looking at the creased paper.

_"__That brunette behind you is really hot. I don't think I've seen her before. Think I should go for….the smolder?"_ Jack almost sputtered with laughter, but restrained himself and made a muffled sound into his sleeve. Flynn and his smolder, honestly. Jack had watched him use his trademark move many times, and while it worked most of the time, it was very amusing when it didn't. Flynn would stare at the girl with his mouth open, as if she should have been hit by a very powerful spell but somehow was immune to magic. He shook his head smiling, looked back to the brunette behind him in question, and then wrote _"Sure, go for it!"_ and handed the note back. Flynn grinned at him and nodded to confirm that he was, indeed, going to go for it.

Meanwhile, headmaster Lunar finished his speech and allowed the sorting ceremony to begin. Jack and his friends weren't really interested, since they wouldn't have anything to do with the first years anyway. They still clapped every time a kid got sorted into their house though, since there was no reason to be rude. After all they clearly remembered how nervous they had been themselves on their first day in the magical castle. Jack caught himself shooting looks at Haddock, but quickly noticed that he wasn't the only one. Far from it. Well, that was to expected with that rumor going around. Haddock still looked very tense and remained quiet. He clapped without much enthusiasm when someone was sorted into a house, but other than that he seemed very passive.

"Hufflepuff!" the sorting hat exclaimed, as the last new student was sorted, and the clapping quickly died down as the ceremony was now over.

Headmaster Lunar stood up once again and happily exclaimed "Let the feast begin!", while the food magically appeared on all the tables.

As soon as the food had appeared, Merida was already stuffing her face with pie, while Mavis was looking intently at the food as if trying to make a very difficult decision. Flynn was still checking out the girl behind Jack, when Jacks attention was once again pulled towards Haddock, who got up from his seat and quickly walked towards the doors of the Great Hall, exiting the large room, deliberately without looking at anyone. He looked tense and uncomfortable, his whole body language was guarded and defensive, but that wasn't surprising Jack thought. He resisted the urge to go after the Ravenclaw, and somehow find out what was happening, and he made sure to stay in his seat. After all, it would be pretty strange if he was to go after Haddock, when he barely knew him at all. Merida hadn't even noticed the boy's exit, as she was busy attacking another piece of pie, while still having crumbs on her cheek from her last baked victim. Mavis however, was more attentive, as usual, and exchanged looks with Jack. Flynn had clearly also noticed, as he looked towards the doors, where Haddock had just been. As soon as the Ravenclaw had left the Great Hall the talking intensified among the students, drowning the room in overwhelming noise. About 10 minutes after Haddock had made his exit, Ingerman and Corona left their seats to follow him after grabbing a quick bite to eat. Jack and his friends (and almost all of the other students) watched them as they left the hall both looking very concerned and whispering to each other.

Merida finally looked up from her vicious battle with the pie and finished chewing the remains of her defeated foe.

"I know how we can get some answers" she said, attracting the attention of her friends.

"How?" Jack asked curiously. What was she considering?

"Astrid" Merida simply stated. "She and Haddock comes from the same place, so she must know something about this" she continued, seemingly proud of getting that idea.

"Yeah, that's true, good idea, Red" Flynn said, causing Merida to give him a deadly glare, before once again smiling.

"I know that Rider, I'm a genius" she replied, as if his compliment was the most obvious thing in the world. Jack shook his head and smiled, while Mavis lips quirked slightly upwards in that special way of hers, that indicated that she was amused without showing it too much.

"Yes, you are definitely the brains of this operation, Crumbs" Jack said sarcastically, while looking at the crumbs that stilled loomed on Merida's face from her assault on the baked goods.

Mavis and Flynn both snickered, while Merida narrowed her eyes slightly in that mock-threatening and playful manner, that Jack had come to know so well.

"Just because you're jealous of all of this" Merida said while gesturing to herself, "doesn't mean you have to get cranky, Snow Queen" she finished, using the nickname that had caused Flynn to spit out his pumpkin juice on Mavis and nearly die of laughter, the first time she used it.

"It's difficult not to be cranky, when a pie crumb spitting Scotsman is ruining my perfect reputation just by association" he retorted, while lifting his head up and looking away from Merida, as to seem offended.

Merida just snorted and then chuckled. "Well, are we going to go find Astrid then?" she asked the others.

"Maybe we shouldn't" Mavis suddenly said, causing the others to furrow their brows in confusion.

"What? Why not?" Merida asked sounding disapproving. Jack chose to remain silent, simply to hear Mavis out on this. She was usually the logical one in the group, and she always had well-founded reasons for her opinions.

"I just mean that…maybe we shouldn't pry. It's none of our business after all" she explained calmly. "I'm sure Haddock and Astrid will have plenty of people trying to meddle".

Jack took her words to heart and found that he agreed. He had always liked Haddock, in a friendly-but-not-actual-friends sort of way, and he didn't want to cause the boy any discomfort or distress. He didn't care too much about whether or not Astrid was bombarded with questions from other curious students, as long as he wouldn't be in the middle of that disaster. The blonde Gryffindor girl could practically crumble anyone to dust without even trying.

Merida's idea to find Astrid had been good though. Everyone knew that Astrid and Haddock knew each other, because it seemed so strange, that a popular Gryffindor Quidditch captain, who was beautiful, got good grades and attracted the attention of all the guys would know a sarcastic, brainy guy with a fake limb, and even defend him sometimes. There had been a lot of rumors going around, about what their relation could possibly be. Jack and his friends heard from Astrid herself later on, that she and Haddock grew up together on the same island. That had made a lot of sense to him. They obviously weren't that close friends, since they almost never hung out together, but they would sometimes be seen talking, and Astrid would never stand for it, if someone said something bad about the brunet. It sort of reminded him of a big sister protecting her little brother, even though they were the same age. Obviously she cared about him.

Trying to think of something else besides the sarcastic boy with the prosthetic leg, Jack asked his friends to see their schedules, trying to find out which classes they had together. He was happy to find out, that he didn't have any classes alone, although some of the others did. It didn't matter that much though, as he and his friends could always find someone to talk to. Jack wouldn't actually mind having some classes alone, but it wasn't as much fun as having a friend or three by his side, so he was very content with the outcome. There were even two classes that all of them had: potions and charms. As much as it pained and aggravated Merida, Potions was on the schedule first thing tomorrow. However, Jack had promised to help her thorugh, and he intended to keep that promise.

~~~~ Jack ~~~~

The potions classroom had always been dark and depressing. It was in the Hogwarts dungeons, so that was to be expected, but it was still too gloomy for Jacks taste. Even though it had large windows, barely any sun made it inside the room, and it didn't help that the walls were built in dark stone and the classroom was filled with huge, dark bookshelves filled with mysterious ingredients in large containers. The room always smelled old and dusty, like piles of ancient parchment combined with residue from the previous years of brewing. Large square tables with cauldrons and other required materials were set up as workstations for the students, and Jack and his friends shared one of these tables, waiting for class to begin. Merida was already groaning, and complaining that this was going to be unbearable, but Jack tried to comfort her. "Come on, Mer. I'll help you, okay? You'll live through it" he said genuinely, even though her frustrated outbursts were a bit amusing. Merida just looked at him, unable to keep the dread away from her facial expressions.

"But Jack…it's potions!...and this year it's going to be even harder" she said, planting her arms on the table and leaning in, resting her head on them. "I'm never going to survive" she sighed. "I might as well drown myself in Bloodroot potion".

"Well, just don't make a mess, I don't feel like cleaning up" Jack replied, while trying to suppress a chuckle.

Merida punched his arm. "That's cold, Frosty! You don't even care, that I'm going to die of boredom and frustration in this class" she whined, causing Flynn and Mavis to chuckle.

"Come on, Mer, it's not going to be_ that_ bad. After all, we're all here" Mavis said gently, patting Merida's back a few times, earning her a small smile from the red-head.

"Yeah, Firefly, we'll get you through it" Flynn said confidently, and Jack almost sputtered at the new nickname, certain that Merida would absolutely hate it.

"Firefly?" she asked incredulously, rolling her eyes, as if Flynn was somehow mentally unstable. Well…he _was_, but not in a bad way, Jack thought to himself with a warm smile.

While Jack and his friends kept themselves occupied with friendly banter, more people began filling the classroom taking their places at the workstations. The room was busy with chatter and students preparing for class by getting their books and other supplies out. Jack suddenly spotted the heavy blonde boy that was Fishlegs Ingerman walking through the door, quickly followed by Haddock, both boys carrying books under their arms. Oh right…he had actually forgotten that they had potions with the Ravenclaws this year instead of the Hufflepuffs. Apparently it had been beyond difficult to get the Ravenclaws and Slytherins to get along, almost as impossible as Gryffindor and Slytherin. He briefly wondered if Haddock and Ingerman were any good at this class, but quickly dismissed it. They were Ravenclaws, so naturally there would be few things they _weren't _good or at least acceptable at academically speaking.

The only available seats were at the workstation next to the one Jack and his friends sat by, so the two teenage boys quickly made their way over to it and put down their things, while several students watched Haddocks every move. Jack felt sorry for the guy. He was obviously uncomfortable with it, although he tried to hide it by focusing on speaking quietly with Ingerman. The two Ravenclaws shared the workstation with two Gryffindors, Thomas Levin and Peter McGowan, both of whom were known to not be too fond of people, who were different. This wasn't exactly common in the Gryffindor house, but it did occur sometimes. Even Gryffindor had jerks. Jack had never liked them, and he and his friends usually ignored them as much as possible, as did many of the others in their house. He briefly found himself hoping that the combination of those two Ravenclaws and those two Gryffindors wouldn't be too volatile.

While Flynn and Mavis were still busy convincing Merida that she was actually going to survive this class, Professor Creek entered the room, large heavy textbooks under one arm, causing everyone to stop talking. He was a rather short man in his fifties, clean shaven with short brown hair with some grey streaks in it and a rounded face with soft features that made him seem friendly and non-threatening.

"Hello and welcome to Potions. I'm Professor Creek and I'll be teaching the class this year" he said in an authoritative voice that somehow seemed kind and inviting at the same time. "Now, I'm not much for chitchat, so let's begin straight away. We'll start this year by brewing Shrinking potions" he declared. "So open your books to page 75 and begin. If anyone needs help, don't be afraid to ask" he finished, giving the students a small smile and proceeded to planting the heavy textbooks on the massive desk in front of him.

Immediately everyone began to flip open their books to the required page and read the instructions. Jack didn't think it looked too complicated, but he heard Merida groan in frustration next to him. He smiled to himself. He could practically feel the hopelessness radiate off her, but he was refusing to let her give up. The first class had barely even started yet.

"Come on, Mer. I'll get the ingredients, if you prepare the utensils" he said trying to encourage her, and he received a grateful smile in return, as she slowly nodded and turned away from him to begin preparing.

The potion required shrivelfigs, daisy roots, caterpillars, wormwood, leeches, rat spleen and cowbane, so Jack began searching for the containers with the correct labels on the old, dusty shelves. It wasn't the most appetizing ingredients, but for some strange reason potions rarely contained things that _weren't _disgusting. He quickly located all the right ingredients in the assigned jars and grabbed a double portion of each, so there would be enough for Merida as well. He made sure to take a few purplebulbs as well – something that could easily be mistaken for shrivelfigs if someone wasn't paying close attention, and Jack was forming an evil plan in his head on how to use them to mess with Flynn. He found the jar with the last ingredient, cowbane, and propped the lid open. After he had taken a double portion for him and Merida, he put the lid back on the container, brought it back on the dusty shelf and quickly spun around to head back to the table, when he bumped straight into someone, who had been standing with his side to Jack, getting some other ingredients. Jack quickly retreated a few feet and saw a pair of familiar green eyes looking back at him.

"Oh, I'm sorry, that was my fault" Jack said apologetically, giving the Ravenclaw a genuine smile. He could be quite unaware of his surroundings sometimes, so it wasn't unusual that he bumped into someone.

Haddock looked at Jack for a few seconds in surprise, and Jack felt those very green eyes observing him, before the brunet said "That's okay, don't worry about it" with that trademark slightly nasal voice of his. Then he instantly turned around to get the rest of the ingredients, he had been getting from the shelf behind him, before Jacks little interference.

Jack continued to look at the other boy for a few moments, now only being able to see his back. He noticed that he had two small braids on one side of that brown mess of hair, which seemed kind of odd. He'd never had that before Jack thought but then pushed the thought away. He tore his eyes off the other teen and headed back to his workstation and put all of the ingredients down. Merida was waiting for him, having prepared all the utensils as planned, and Jack now split the ingredients into two neatly divided portions.

"Now, let's see what we can do about this" he said confidently and rubbed his hands together, while smiling at Merida, who chuckled a little and looked more optimistic than earlier. Well, that was an improvement for sure. He needed to keep his friend's spirits up, to get her through another year of potions, and he would do his best to achieve just that.

The potion hadn't been too difficult, although the juicing of leeches was always disgusting and threatened to summon Jacks breakfast from his stomach without any magic at all. When Flynn was juicing the leeches, he accidentally managed to squirt some leech on Mavis, who was not happy about it. But then again, who would be? After an apology and a quick wash of her arms at the stone basin in the corner, she was good as new though.

Jack had worked steadily throughout the class, grounding, chopping and juicing the ingredients with a calm and confident hand, and adding them in the correct order, all the while making sure that Merida was on the same step of the potion-making as he was, so he could help her when she needed it, while still being able to concentrate on brewing his own batch. Jack had always liked potions. There was something relaxing and natural about preparing the ingredients, adding them and seeing the reactions, stirring and simmering, and he had always had a knack for it.

When Flynn went to the stone basin in the corner of the room to wash some caterpillar juice off his hands, Jack quickly switched the shrivelfigs on his side of the workstation with the purplebulbs he had picked up, when he was gathering all the ingredients. Luckily Mavis didn't see it, as she was busy adding the daisy root to her batch, or she would have disapproved for sure. Merida did see it however, but she smirked evilly at him to let him know, that she approved of his wicked plan. He could always count on Merida to take part in his mischievous ways, especially when it was directed at Flynn.

As Flynn returned to the workstation, now with clean hands, he began slicing up the purplebulbs, not noticing that they weren't shrivelfigs. In his defense the two ingredients _did_ look almost identical. Merida snickered as she observed Flynn, who was blissfully unaware that he was about to be pranked. Jack kept an eye on him as well, but without actually looking straight at him, as that might make him suspicious. When Flynn was done slicing up the purplebulbs he added them to the potion in his cauldron, and the batch immediately caused a minor explosion, leaving Flynn's face covered in soot. Mavis jumped at the loud noise next to her and looked at Flynn in shock. Merida burst out laughing at Flynn's completely baffled and confused expression coupled with Mavis' shock, and Jack couldn't contain his own laughter either. This was way too amusing. A few other students around them snickered at the unexpected reaction from the potion, and Professor Creek looked towards the workstation in disapproval but remained silent. Well, at least that was something. After all, Jack wasn't trying to get Flynn in trouble. He just wanted to mess with him.

Flynn snapped out of his current state of utter confusion and shock and began cleaning up the mess his exploding potion had made around his side of the workstation.

Jack walked around table, covering the distance between him and Flynn.

"Come on, man. I'll get the ingredients for a new batch, and Mavis will help you clean the utensils, so there's still time to get it right" Jack said reassuringly to his friend who nodded and smiled warmly at him. Mavis smiled as well, and immediately got on preparing the utensils for another attempt at brewing the shrinking potion.

After Jack had once again made the trip around the old shelves, collecting the ingredients for the potion, and this time delivered them on Flynn's side of the workstation, he made his way to his own potion to check that it was still okay. To his relief, it was. It looked exactly like it was supposed to at this step of the process.

He continued brewing his potion, helping both Merida and now Flynn along the way to make sure that they would all get it done in time. Luckily it didn't take too long for Flynn to catch up, when he had help from Jack and Mavis.

Jack had begun stirring his potion in the cauldron, watching it change color from a muddy brown to a light green, while giving Merida instructions on how to do the same, when he heard McGowan's annoyed voice behind him.

"Come on Haddock, fix our potions" the Gryffindor boy said in a frustrated tone of voice. Jack looked over at the other workstation, where Haddock and Ingerman were both already finished with their glowing, green potions, while the other two boys seemed to have completely messed up their batch, since it was brown and bubbling. It actually looked a bit like someone had taken a poo and was now attempting to cook it. Jack snickered to himself at the thought, but quickly recovered as he continued to watch the interaction. McGowan and Levin were both hopeless at potions, but they deserved what they got, since they were also impatient jerks. He was just hoping that the encounter unfolding before his eyes wouldn't escalate.

"No" the tall, brunet Ravenclaw said defiantly, while crossing his arms and looking McGowan straight in the eye. Ingerman was standing next to him, looking tense and nervous about a potential confrontation, his eyes darting around the room and his feet shuffling anxiously. Haddock definitely didn't seem nervous though Jack thought, on the contrary. Everything about the brunet screamed defiance right now: his feet didn't move an inch, as if they had taken roots in the stone floor, his back was straight, his fists were clenched by his sides, and his head was kept upright while his green eyes were fixed on the two Gryffindors in front of him, refusing to break eye contact. The two Ravenclaws couldn't seem more different right now Jack mused. But now that he thought about it, it had always been like that. Haddock had been the calm one and Ingerman the nervous one, although Jack had to admit that he had never seen the guy quite so defiant and confident as he looked right now. Sure he had always stood up to bully types, usually disarming their threats with clever comments, but right now there was something different about the brown-haired teen. He seemed _angry_. In a very restrained, confined sort of way.

"Fine, Ingerman can fix it then" Levin said looking at Fishlegs with a glare.

"No" Haddock once again said, while holding out an arm in front of Ingerman, as to keep him in place, in case he decided to do what the other boys told him. It didn't look like Ingerman was planning to move though, Jack thought. The boy seemed to be transfixed by the current encounter between his friend and the two larger boys. Jack felt for the guy. Ingerman had always seemed so nice and gentle. There was no reason for him to be dragged into something this tense by McGowan and Levin. Jack briefly thought about interfering, but he decided to wait. If it escalated he would definitely do something and bring Flynn along for support though.

"He will not help you either" Haddock finished in a serious tone of voice that left no room for discussion, still not breaking eye contact with McGowan. He was really holding his own Jack thought and applauded the brunet in his mind. Not everyone would have the guts to oppose two big, threatening guys like McGowan and Levin.

"What, why?" McGowan demanded to know, while moving a bit closer to Haddock. Jack was watching the tension build, and for a moment he feared that it could become very ugly, especially since Professor Creek had gone to the supply room to get more shrivelfigs. He observed the boys by the other workstation, his eyes trained on Haddock and McGowan as they were now standing quite close to each other. Jack shared a look with Flynn, who gave him a quick nod and had a look in his eyes that signaled that he was on the same page as Jack: if things got ugly, they would interfere. He glanced at Mavis and Merida who were also watching Haddock and McGowan with intense eyes.

"Well…" Haddock began while holding a single finger to his chin, as if he was in deep contemplation.

This was going to be good, Jack thought, waiting for the smart-ass reply that was sure to leave the Ravenclaw's mouth in a few seconds.

"Let me see…this is a school…In a school you get grades based on what you know. So me doing your work would kind of defeat the whole purpose of this fine institution" he finished, talking slowly and carefully as if he was speaking to a child.

Jack smirked and he could see McGowan's jaw clench in anger, while he scowled at the sarcastic guy in front of him. Levin stepped up by McGowan's side and observed Haddock with a very annoyed glare that signaled that his patience was about to run out. Jack was beginning to think, that this would in fact end badly.

"Shut up Haddock. Just because people are telling lies about you and dragons doesn't mean that you get to mock us" McGowan spat, looking disgusted. He was such a jerk. How on earth he had landed in Gryffindor was beyond Jack. He must have had some serious blackmail-material on the Sorting Hat.

"Well, no. I get to mock you, no matter what people are saying about me" the quick-witted brunet retorted, his sharp, dry humor lacing every word, stabbing holes in the two large boys' aggressive outbursts.

"Watch it, Haddock. We don't like being mocked, especially not by losers like you" Levin spat in a threatening manner while clenching one of his fists. Jack thought to himself that Levin and McGowan were the losers in this situation, but he kept quiet for now. He didn't want to push the two Gryffindors, if things still actually had a chance of being resolved peacefully.

"Really? I thought you were enjoying my friendly banter. I actually feel a little hurt now" Haddock replied, a frown upon his face and holding a hand over his heart. Ingerman shuffled anxiously next to his brunet friend, his eyes darting back and forth from Haddock to McGowan and Levin, observing every single word and facial expression. He looked like he was ready to run away Jack thought.

"You're being sarcastic" Levin said angrily and narrowed his eyes at the boy in front of him.

"Wow…you're like a detective..." Haddock said, his voice full of mock-wonder and a fascinated expression on his face.

Jack sputtered, unable to keep it in. He quickly tried to contain his laughter but failed miserably, causing both of the large Gryffindors to spin around and glare angrily at him. Jack didn't care though. He was enjoying watching the sarcastic green-eyed teen putting these two brawny stupid clowns in their place using nothing but his intelligent wit. His amusement was shared by Merida, who had snorted and chuckled at Haddocks comeback, as well as Flynn and Mavis who were snickering. They weren't the only ones though. Several of the other students had been following the encounter as well, and were now chuckling.

Just as Levin was about to make an angry outburst directed at Jack, Professor Creek entered the room once again, completely oblivious as to what had been going on. Levin and McGowan slumped back in their seats, while shooting daggers at Haddock, who ignored them completely, not bothering to react in any way.

Professor Creek made his rounds to the different workstations giving feedback on the students' results. Jack didn't pay much attention, fiddling with a pencil and drawing a few doodles, until Professor Creek was at the workstation next to them, complimenting Haddock and Ingerman while sounding very disappointed about McGowan's and Levin's brown bubbly blob potions. Jack snickered. It served them right, trying to threaten someone to do their potions for them. When Professor Creek got to their workstation, he was happy with everyone's results even Merida's, which caused the curly-haired redhead to smile brightly. Maybe she would be more optimistic about potions in the future, Jack thought. He stole some glances at Haddock, who was talking about something with Ingerman, both seemingly very interested in the conversation. Ingerman let out a very unmanly squeal at something Haddock had said, which caused the other teen to grin and try to calm down his friend again. Jack found himself very curious as to what they were talking about. Why, he wasn't sure, but it was probably the whole dragon rumor thing.

When the potions class was over, the teens had a ten minute break before the next classes began, but decided to head their separate ways right away to make sure to get there on time. No one was interested in getting detention. They would meet up again at lunch and eat together, as they always did. Jack and Merida headed to their Defense against the Dark Arts class, while Mavis had another class and Flynn had been excused from going to class with Jack and Merida, because he had been called to the headmaster's office. Why, none of them knew not even Flynn. Jack and Merida walked side by side down one of the massive hallways, meeting several people they knew along the way, saying quick "hi's" and "how's it going?". They both knew many people at the school, and it was always nice to see a familiar smiling face, so Jack was always happy to take time out to say hello.

When he and Merida arrived at the classroom, the only one sitting there already was a familiar mess of brown hair that Jack immediately recognized. He and Merida sat down on two seats behind Haddock, the noise causing the brunet to throw a quick glance and then a nod their way, before looking back down at whatever he was writing. Now that Jack came to think of it, Haddock was always either writing or drawing in the classes, when neither Ingerman nor Corona was around. He caught himself wondering what the guy was writing or drawing and whether it was about dragons, but he dismissed the thoughts. He shouldn't be so curious, even though it was difficult not to be, when it involved dragons and a brainy, sarcastic boy that no one ever expected to do something heroic. He glanced up at the dragon skeleton that was hanging in the classroom ceiling, wondering what Haddock thought about it. Would he be sad that a dragon had died? Would he be angry that it had probably been killed by someone? Or maybe he would be indifferent because it obviously happened a long time ago. It was hard to tell. Jack wasn't even sure how he felt about himself, having never given any serious thought to it before now.

Merida and Jack both got their books from their bags and put them on the table, and then made small talk about what to eat for lunch, and the brunet at the Great Hall that Flynn was obviously interested in.

"Yeah, she better watch out, because he's planning on using his secret weapon" Jack chuckled.

Merida rolled her eyes and snorted. "Seriously? The Smolder? I'm starting to question whether or not he's right in the head" Merida said, clearly amused by Flynns antics.

"Starting to? I've been questioning that since I met him six years ago" Jack replied, making Merida chuckle and nod in agreement. They both loved Flynn, but he and his Smolder were just too amusing sometimes.

Jack and Merida continued laughing and joking about Flynn and his magical dating move, when more students started to take their seats in the classroom. Suddenly Jim slumped down in the seat next to Jack.

"Hey Jim" Jack said happily and Merida did a small wave.

"Hi guys", the brown-haired boy said with warm smile on his face.

"So, how's it going with Haley?" Jack inquired, keen to know how Jim was doing.

"Great" Jim said, a bright grin spreading across his face. "She's actually coming home with me for Christmas to meet my parents" the boy told them.

"Wow, that's great" Jack replied with enthusiasm, happy on his behalf.

"Yeah, good for you Jim" Merida chimed in, giving the boy a bright smile.

The students all went quiet when their Professor, Aster Bunnymund arrived. Jack wasn't sure if he liked the professor or not. He was very knowledgeable and talented, but he was also strict, and while Jack tried to get good grades in the classes that mattered to him, sometimes his mischievous side took over, causing him to pull pranks or make jokes, which Professor Bunnymund did not approve of in the slightest. The professor was more about hard work and deadlines, while Jack was about fun, but nonetheless he tried his best to contain himself. The professor walked over to his desk and stood in front of it. He was a tall, rather muscular man in his 30's, with dark blue hair and an Australian accent.

"Alright, class. Welcome to Defense against the Dark Arts. Today we're going to start practicing non-verbal spells. Can anyone tell me, what the advantage is to this kind of spell?" he asked the class, and Jack was not surprised to see Haddock raise his hand. The guy was good at this class…Well, he was good at pretty much every class.

"Yes, mr. Haddock?" Bunnymund said looking at the brown-haired teen, who calmly answered "In a duel non-verbal spells mean that your opponent doesn't have any chance of knowing, what sort of magic you are about to cast, which can give you an advantage".

Bunnymund smiled slightly. "Very good mr. Haddock. Today we're going to be focusing on stunning- and disarming spells, so if you'll each pair up with someone, we can get started" their professor declared. Jack and Merida obviously paired up, while Jim was left with Haddock, since everyone else paired up with the person sitting next to them. Jim didn't seem to mind though, which wasn't surprising, as he was very easy going with practically anyone. And he was probably also still beaming on the inside from the dragon rumors.

Almost everyone struggled with the non-verbal spell. Merida was failing completely, not getting any reaction at all from her wand, when she tried to cast a Stupefy spell on Jack.

"Uggghr!" she groaned. "This is impossible!"

"It's not impossible, Ms. Dunbroch, merely difficult" they both heard Professor Bunnymund say from behind them, where he was helping another student.

"I stick to impossible" the curly haired girl muttered bitterly, causing Jack to chuckle. He didn't do much better than Merida. Twice he managed to do a Stupefy spell non-verbally, but it was so weak that Merida barely moved at all by its impact.

Jack occasionally glanced over at Jim and Haddock, who weren't doing any better than them. At the end of the class, none of the students had managed a successful non-verbal stunning or disarming spell. Jack could feel the disappointment in the room, as several students were complaining to each other. Professor Bunnymund took his place by his desk, and his voice quickly made all talk die down.

"It's too bad that none of you managed to do a perfect non-verbal spell today, but don't be to discouraged. It's difficult so it might take you a few classes to learn it properly. Practice until next time. Class dismissed" he said in his usual authoritative voice.

Jack saw Haddock quickly gather his things and hurry out of the classroom, which seemed strange. Why was he in such a hurry? And why was he suddenly so curious about Haddock, wondering what he was doing and thinking, what he was talking to people about? Sure he liked the boy, but still…Hmm. It was probably the whole dragon thing. He really should pull himself together now.


	3. It's a Viking thing

~~~~ Jack ~~~~

The first few days at Hogwarts had practically passed in a blur, as Jack occupied his time with classes, pranks and his loving friends. This morning's Transfiguration class had been particularly amusing, as they practiced changing their hair colors and styles with the Crinus Muto spell, and Jack and Flynn competed to see, who could make the other one laugh first. Jack almost lost when Flynn changed his hair to a big blond curly hairdo, similar to that of fine porcelain dolls, but Jack won in the end when he restrained his laughter, and then surprised Flynn completely by changing his snow-white hair into a big, pink afro, causing Flynn to get stomach pains from laughing so much.

He found himself feeling completely content right now. The weather was mild today, only a slight autumn breeze rustling through the multicolored treetops, and the sky was clear and blue without a single cloud obscuring its gentle rays. He was sitting in one of the courtyards on a blanket on the ground with his friends studying. Or at least that's what they had intended. As usual, they ended up studying a little and then goofing off a lot. This time they'd barely gotten any homework done at all, before they got sidetracked. Jack was currently listening to the conversation between Merida and Flynn, as they were having a drawing contest, with Mavis as the judge, as she was obviously the most artsy person of the four teens. The challenge had been extended by Merida to Flynn, after he had made fun of some of the little doodles she'd done on some parchment, while taking a break from a charms assignment. Apparently she had drawn a crab, but Flynn insisted that it was some kind of goblin-shark. That had been too much for the red-heads pride, and she had challenged him to find out who was the better artist. The challenge had been to draw three different things requested by Mavis and Jack, and the person who did the best job would win the right to humiliate the loser brutally. The natural competitiveness between Merida and Flynn made this challenge impossible for either of them to refuse. They were both stubborn and competitive, and some of the funniest moments Jack could remember with his friends had revolved around the two trying to outdo each other. At first they had been asked to draw a baby, and then a car and Jack had suggested a frog as the last option, which Mavis accepted, much to Merida's and Flynn's frustration, as none of them really knew how to draw a frog. Jack had already suspected this though, which was exactly the reason he had suggested it. This was going to be good.

"You're going down, Rider!" Merida exclaimed triumphantly as she was finishing the frog drawing, lying on her stomach on the blanket and tracing her quill over the smooth parchment.

Flynn huffed, as he sat cross-legged with a book in his lap, which his parchment rested on, so he could draw evenly. "Yeah right Simba, you've got nothing on me" he said confidently, but lost a bit of that confidence as Merida narrowed her eyes, while Jack and Mavis both sputtered with laughter. Oh how he loved it, when Flynn came up with some new nickname that infuriated Merida to no end.

"What…did you just call me?" Merida asked him from her comfortable position, her voice ice cold, as she had abruptly stopped working on her drawing to glare at him.

"Oh nothing" Flynn quickly said dismissively, while trying his best to look completely innocent. Jack knew that wasn't going to work with Merida though, and he decided to rile their wild-haired friend up a little more.

As soon as Merida focused her attention on her drawing again, Jack couldn't help himself and gave his best Mufasa impression: "Simba, when we die our bodies become the grass, and the antelope eat the grass, and so we are all connected in the great circ- whoaah!".

He didn't manage to finish his (in his opinion spot on) impression of the authoritative lion, as Merida suddenly got up from her resting position on her stomach with almost super-human speed and threw herself at him, making him tumble over and land on his back. She started tickling him immediately, her freakishly strong body pinning him to the ground. The tickling sensations invaded his body, as the red-heads slim fingers jabbed at him and dug into his robes, and he couldn't stop himself from laughing uncontrollably, his breath becoming more and more erratic. He was quickly losing the reins over his body, as it began to wriggle uncontrollably to desperately try and slip out of the evil ticklers grasp.

"Don't call me Simba, Frosty! Now, say you surrender!" she demanded playfully while still holding him down, now by the wrists to give him a little time to catch his breath again. He was grateful for that, as his stomach was beginning to ache from the involuntary twitches that had gone through his body, and his lungs were craving oxygen. He greedily began to suck in as much air as possible through deep, long breaths. When his breathing had steadied a little more, he decided not to submit to that red-haired tyrant of a lion on top of him.

"Never! I'll die before I surrender to you, Simba! Pride Rock is Scars by right! Usurper!" he shouted with as much conviction as he could manage, his still uneven breath causing him to struggle slightly to get it out in the volume he wanted. He could hear Flynn's and Mavis' laughter echo through the air, while Merida once again jabbed her hands into his sides and began wobbling her slim fingers, creating those shocks of equal amounts of delight and horror that trembled through his body. He instantly began thrashing violently in protest, while he roared with laughter instinctually, unable to stop it in any way. His chest heaved from all the laughter escaping his body, and right now he hated that Merida was so unbelievably strong and he was such a skinny guy, because it would have been great to overpower her and win this fight. It was no use trying though, as she kept pinning him down without much effort. He knew that he couldn't take her anyway. He'd tried many times before but to no avail.

"Surrender, Snowman!" Merida yelled at him, but he could barely breathe, much less speak. He was taking more and more desperate rapid breaths to get some oxygen to his brain. Merida obviously noticed this, as she gave him a moment to recover from all the tickling, leaning slightly back on him, so she sat on top of his stomach.

"Fine" Jack breathed heavily in submission, his voice coarse and breathless. His stomach was trying to overcome that aching feeling that always followed the extreme ripples and spasms from a tickle attack. "I surrender" he said hopelessly, while he held his hands up in mock surrender, still lying on his back in the grass with the red-head on top of him. He really didn't want to give in to her, but he definitely couldn't handle any more tickling, and he knew that Merida would never give up until he surrendered. She was so goddamn stubborn that it was nearly impossible to win any kind of fight with her.

Merida grinned triumphantly, her blue eyes lighting up immediately from the sound of his submission. "Yes! Once again the Scotsman defeats the Snow Queen" she shouted with pride, while letting go of Jack and returning to her comfortable position on the blanket. She was practically beaming.

"You know, that's not exactly the most flattering nickname" Jack deadpanned, still a little out of breath, while sitting himself up again as well, crossing his legs and resting his elbows on his knees. God, his stomach ached from that assault of nerve spasms, and his whole body felt weak and tired from the uncontrollable thrashing. Oh well. At least he also had that relaxed, pleasant tingling sensation in his head that also came after a tickle attack from all the endorphins being released into his brain.

"I know, that's why I use it so much" Merida retorted as if that was completely obvious to anyone, and she smirked in a particularly malicious fashion. Typical bloody Scotsman, he thought amused. Underneath that Gryffindor appearance, she was definitely pure evil, no doubt about it.

Jack just chuckled at his friend. "Well, let's see if you're still smiling when the drawing contest is over" he said, causing Mavis to stop her laughing and reach out to get the drawings from her two friends. Flynn and Merida handed them over almost reluctantly, and viewed each other with narrowed, challenging eyes while doing it. As Mavis flicked through them, her whole face contorted as she obviously struggled to suppress her giggles. She lost the fight over her body, and she burst out laughing. Merida and Flynn watched her equal amounts of offense and amusement, while Jack couldn't help but smile fondly at his laughing friend, her light, feathery laughter floating through the air like dandelion seeds adrift by a gentle breeze.

"What is it?" He asked curiously, tilting his head a little in a questioning manner. Mavis handed him one of the drawings, and as he trained his ice blue eyes on the slightly crinkled piece of parchment, his face lit up in amusement, and he couldn't even hope to contain the bubbling laughter that instantly escaped him. What was supposed to be a drawing of a baby, looked like some hideous creature with bulbous eyes in different sizes, legs that were sort of twisted and hands that were way too big for the rest of the body. What the hell was that evil deformed creature? Jack and Mavis continued their laughter fit, the bubbling sounds and the facial expressions of each other only making it even more difficult to stop, and they were soon joined by Merida as she also took one look at Flynn's drawing, before rolling on the ground roaring with hilarity.

"What? That's obviously a baby" Flynn huffed indignantly and rolled his eyes, as if his three friends were obviously blind to his stroke of artistic genius.

Jack shook his head while trying to get his laughter under control, but his breath had become erratic again from the laughter cramps, so it was difficult to get words out properly. "That…that's not…a baby. That's…orc spawn" he told Flynn with wide, amused eyes, causing Merida and Mavis to topple over in amusement. Merida held a hand on her stomach as she continued to heave with laughter, and Mavis wiped away a single tear that had trailed down her cheek.

"Fine, whatever" Flynn said dismissively, while crossing his arms defiantly, even though he was clearly also amused, as the corners of his mouth quirked upwards and his eyes were gleaming with mirth. Flynn always knew how to take a joke, and Jack knew that he was never truly offended by anything his friends said. He still loved to pretend though.

When their laughter slowly died down, and the three teens all managed to get their breathing under control once more, they decided to look at the rest of the drawings. This however only brought them back to a state of hysterical hilarity, as they saw Merida's frog drawing, which looked more like some alien with an antenna and Flynn's frog drawing that resembled some kind of mutant dog with severe deformities. When they were all done mocking the drawings in various amusing ways, Flynn and Merida eager to make sure that the other's drawings were mocked more than their own, Mavis began considering who the winner should be. After some careful thinking (the honor of two of their friends was at stake after all), Mavis declared Merida the winner of the contest, causing the redhead to gloat long and hard, as she laughed triumphantly, stuck her finger in Flynn's face and danced around him happily, singing a little song about how she was better than him. Flynn was a little frustrated about losing, because it caused a dent in his dignity, but it was only for a little while. As it always was with their contests, the loser was only upset shortly before returning to their usual bright demeanor. Still though, Jack could understand the eagerness to win, seeing that both Merida and Flynn were merciless gloaters, when they beat each other.

When she had decided that she was done humiliating Flynn, Merida lay down on the blanket on her side, while pulling out some candy from her bag. Jack shook his head and smiled in amusement. Merida was almost always eating, and he had no idea, why she wasn't the size of North yet. She must have some kind of superhuman metabolism, although that was a pretty lame superpower to have. If Jack could choose a superpower, it would definitely be to turn himself invisible at will. Think about how many awesome pranks he'd be able to pull, if he could sneak around totally unseen? The potential was limitless.

Flynn and Mavis had begun discussing Flynn's strategy for getting the hot brunette to succumb to his Smolder, Flynn being very convinced that he didn't need to do much else, but Mavis' insisting that his dating move was not perfect, when Jack spotted Haddock walk out into the courtyard. He wasn't alone though, as Ingerman and Corona were by his side, and the three Ravenclaws were clearly heading somewhere in particular, as they walked with purpose and in a fast pace. The appearance of the large blonde boy and the golden-haired girl by his side was pretty much the norm. What wasn't the norm at all, were all the people who approached him in some way or another. Jack watched several students saying hi to him, smiling at him or waving at him, and many actually walked up to him to say hi and obviously try to start a conversation. This failed miserably however, as Haddock seemed to only give them short answers and a few polite smiles, while he continued on his way briskly walking beside his friends. Jack noticed how the girls that approached him were smiling shyly or giving him notes or giggling. They were clearly flirting with him. Jack felt some annoyance at that. It was pretty obvious that Haddock didn't want all the attention, and yet people were just throwing themselves at him. It just seemed wrong to him. Leave the poor guy alone, he obviously had enough on his mind.

"Wow". Jacks thoughts were interrupted by Flynn, whose smooth, round voice was cutting through the silence among the four Gryffindors. "Haddock seems to be doing well for himself" he said, clearly impressed with the massive change in attention directed towards the Ravenclaw.

"I don't think he likes all the attention" Jack replied without much emotion, while still observing the brunet, who continued to walk further away with his two friends, his whole body language tense and awkward.

"Me neither. He seems like a private person" Mavis told them with obvious sympathy in her voice.

"Pff…Anyone should be happy to get that kind of attention" Flynn stated. Jack frowned at this, finding Flynn's comment slightly shallow, but he didn't reply. He knew that despite what most people thought about Flynn, he _wasn't _shallow or vain, but he obviously had difficulty imagining Haddocks discomfort right now.

"Are we a bit jealous of all the attention he's getting, Rider?" Merida chimed in teasingly, enjoying messing with Flynn as usual.

"What? Of course not" Flynn said, in a slightly high-pitched voice, that screamed denial. Jack rolled his eyes slightly. Of course Flynn was jealous. He loved getting the attention from all the girls and being popular with the guys as well. That was his whole thing…being the good-looking heartbreaker who was also a great friend to all the guys. Not that he had lost any of that, the girls were still interested in dating him and the guys still wanted to hang out with him, but something told Jack that Flynn might be slightly insecure about sharing this much attention with someone else. Despite his whole image, Flynn wasn't arrogant or overly confident at all. He wasn't some sniveling insecure mess either, but he had doubts about himself just like every other normal human being.

Jack continued to watch Haddock, who disappeared from view around a corner with his two friends. For some reason he found himself being a little disappointed at that. He wasn't entirely sure what was going on with him, but somehow he wanted to make sure that no one was bothering the brunet too much. Maybe it was just because he felt sympathy towards the Ravenclaw, who was obviously having difficulty handling all this change, but there was no use in trying to analyze something so intangible further. It didn't really matter anyway.

"Besides, I'm still as popular as ever with the ladies" Flynn continued confidently, and demonstrated this by waving and saying hi to a bunch of girls nearby, who immediately giggled, smiled and waved back.

Merida snorted and rolled her blue eyes. "I'll never know what those girls see in you" she said in an exasperated but clearly playful manner.

"Well, my devilishly good looks alone is plenty reason, but I have countless awesome qualities. So no, I'm not jealous of Haddock, of all people" he answered in a self-assured tone of voice.

Jack smiled at the banter between his two friends, but kept looking at the corner, where the boy in question had disappeared from view a moment ago.

"It's just a shame that people won't leave him alone now. I mean everyone's curious, we want to know about it as well, but at least we keep our distance, since we don't actually know him, and have no right to pry" Mavis said softly, her blue eyes gleaming with obvious empathy. She really was one of the kindest people Jack had ever met, and somehow he seriously thought that was an underrated character trait. When people had to list others positive qualities, genuine kindness was rarely highlighted as an equally important trait to such things as intelligence, humor, looks, courage and extrovertism. This was always illustrated clearly by the way Hufflepuff was often sort of dismissed among other students as the least impressive house of Hogwarts, being the kind, amiable ones. It was a shame though. Kindness was a great character trait, and Mavis possessed it in abundance. She always wanted everyone to be comfortable, to have a good time, to be happy, and she was very tolerant of other people's quirks and flaws, even if they might seem weird.

Jack thought about her words and quickly agreed. The four Gryffindors had agreed to not pry into the Ravenclaws relation with dragons, even though they were all brimming with curiosity, because it just didn't seem right to try and force information out of someone you didn't know. "Yeah, and we've even talked to him a bit sometimes in class. Some of the people throwing themselves at him now had never even noticed him before" Jack replied, hoping his annoyance wouldn't show too much. He really did feel sorry for the guy.

"Yeah, you're right" Merida agreed with him and nodded slowly. "It is a wee bit sickening, how people suddenly change that way" she continued. Mavis and Flynn hummed in agreement.

The four friends remained in the courtyard, eating candy, talking and laughing together until it was time for dinner in the Great Hall. As they packed up their things and headed towards the Hall, Jack noticed a library book in his bag that he was supposed to bring back earlier that day. Oops. As usual his need for fun and social interaction had distracted him from doing what he was supposed to. He stopped in his tracks, and his three friends quickly did the same, turning around to face him with questioning looks.

"Uh guys, I'll be there in a little while, I forgot that I had to bring this book back" he said sheepishly and held up the book in one hand for them to see.

"Jack seriously, one day you're going to forget your own name" Mavis told him sternly but with amusement in her clear, blue eyes. Agreements quickly followed by Merida and Flynn.

"Traitors" he accused them, while sending them an evil glare, but they just chuckled at him and resumed walking towards the Great Hall.

Jack slung his bag over his right shoulder and headed towards the library. The halls were completely deserted as everyone was gathering in Hall for dinner, so he walked slowly to enjoy the peace and quiet. He loved being around people, and he was often the center of attention, but once in a while it was nice to just walk in solitude, taking in the peaceful surroundings. Jack had always felt awe towards the old magical castle, ever since he saw it for the first time. Six years later things hadn't changed. It was so full of secrets, of history, of brimming magical power. Even though he had been at Hogwarts for five years and had now started his sixth, there were still so many things he didn't know about the massive, ancient castle. He brushed his hand against the stone wall to his right, and felt the rough surface of the stones glide against his fingertips, as he continued to stroll towards his destination. When the entrance to the library finally came into view, he smiled to himself and got the book out of his bag again.

He felt grateful that the library had a system to allow students to bring back books, no matter if the librarian was present or not, as he just remembered, that she was probably at dinner, just like everyone else. He entered the library and took in a few students sitting scattered at different tables, their eyes eagerly scanning the pages of their books. Geez, why weren't these people at dinner? Who would miss delicious food just to study? He approached the librarians desk, where a container had been set up for students to drop off books. He quickly placed the leather-bound book in the container, and spun around to approach the exit and get to the Great Hall for a nice, hot meal. He walked briskly towards the exit, so he could join his friends for dinner soon, but suddenly bumped into a boy, who was walking out from behind a bookshelf.

"I'm sorry" they both said in unison, and Jack once again found himself face to face with a familiar pair of green eyes. Once again he had bumped into Hiccup Haddock. Well, this was great he thought sarcastically. Not that he particularly minded meeting the Ravenclaw, but it seemed a tad bit strange to bump into the same person twice in a short amount of time.

"I seem to be doing that a lot lately, huh?" Jack said in amusement and flashing the other guy a grin, trying to defuse the awkwardness between them. He couldn't stand tense silence, and luckily he had always had a talent for making people comfortable with him, an ability he had been grateful for several times in his life. Everything just seemed easier, when you could chase away the awkwardness that often occurred between people. Haddock's lips quirked upwards into a small smile at his comment.

"You sure do, Overland" the Ravenclaw replied. Jack wasn't used to hearing his real last name from other students, since everyone called him Jack or Frost (or some nickname relating to these names). Only the teachers called him Overland, but he guessed that it made sense, that Haddock would call him that, since they didn't know each other. Jack blue eyes quickly drifted towards the three very ancient-looking, worn books in Haddock's arms and smiled.

"You're studying dragons?" he asked curiously and smiling genuinely. He watched Haddock visibly tense and his green eyes became guarded for a moment, but then he apparently forced himself to calm down and his shoulders relaxed and his eyes were once again seemingly friendly. Jack felt that he had definitely said the wrong thing. Why had he even mentioned dragons, when he had decided not to approach the Ravenclaw about it at all? Not that this was entirely the same thing, as he was just asking about the books he was carrying, but apparently it was enough to make the brunet suspicious of his intentions. Not that he needed to be. Dragons were awesome and he would be thrilled if he ever got to see one in real life, but there's no fun in trying to force information out of someone.

"Yeah…" the green-eyed teen said hesitantly, as if he wasn't entirely sure he wanted to have this conversation. "I'm very interested in them, and Professor Lunar said, that the library had recently acquired some rare books on them. So I thought I'd check it out". Well, that seemed plausible, Jack thought. He took a brief look at the tomes the other boy was holding once again. They really looked ancient. Two of them were quite small and leatherbound with obvious wear that had faded the color of the leather, and from what he could see the pages were brown from the aging of the paper. The third book was larger and much thicker. It had a dark brown cover that had been ripped slightly in several places.

Jack nodded. "That's cool" he replied, trying to sound casual and not too interested. He didn't want the Ravenclaw to think that he was prying or somehow trying to convince him to spill his secrets.

"Yeah, umm, so…I'm going to go outside and study" Haddock said quickly and awkwardly, before turning around and starting to walk away, leaving Jack without giving him a chance to reply. Well, that wasn't cool at all, he found himself thinking.

"Hey, Haddock" Jack called out but not too loudly, as they were still in the library, after all. He briefly wondered if he really should just leave him alone, but calling out had just been instinctual somehow. He wanted to speak to the guy a little while longer, though he wasn't sure where this urge was coming from. Haddock turned around and looked at him curiously, tilting his head slightly, causing a few brown locks to sway along his forehead, before covering the short distance between them and once again standing in front of Jack. So now it was too late for "if's".

"Yeah?" the brown-haired teen asked curiously, his green eyes seeming a little uncertain. Well, this was a little awkward actually, and Jack hated awkward. He'd have to use his awesome social skills to turn that around. Why had he called the Ravenclaw back, again? Where was he going with this? He was obviously curious about why he was up here now instead of getting something to eat, and the other boy's guarded behavior when he asked about the dragon books was also somehow intriguing. He wouldn't ask about dragons though, as that would be stupid and he wasn't a jerk.

"I hope you don't mind me asking, but…why are you up here now, shouldn't you be getting some food?" he asked in a casual, friendly manner, and giving the other boy a sincere smile. It wasn't just something he said to keep the conversation going, he actually wanted to know. The guy in front of him had always been skinny and even though he had grown dramatically over the last year, he wasn't exactly a big, muscular guy. Skipping meals was surely not a very good idea. And who could say no to delicious food, right? That was just common sense.

The brunet in front of him adjusted the position of the books in his arms, clearly wanting to hold them more comfortably. "Well…I sort of just wanted some time alone…which is suddenly hard to come by" Haddock replied, his green eyes suddenly seeming...annoyed? No, that wasn't quite it. More like solemn. Jack briefly frowned.

"Oh…yeah, I understand. Everyone is suddenly throwing themselves at you….must be weird" he stated casually, trying to ease the sudden awkwardness that had emerged between them once again. He meant it though. It must be an overwhelming experience getting that kind of attention, when you weren't used to it. Jack was definitely used to being the center of attention and he liked it. He was a prankster, often causing commotion and attention with his (genius!) schemes, and a social butterfly who loved being around people almost constantly and was great at spreading laughter and cheer. This caused him to be a popular guy among many of the other students in the old magical castle, and naturally that came with a lot of attention that was expressed in various ways. When he made his way around the castle, he often received waves and greetings from many other students, he was regularly the object of flirty notes, shy smiles and giggles from the female students, and many of the guys in the castle wanted to hang out with him.

"It is" Haddock confirmed softly, not meeting Jacks eyes at the moment. He found it strange that the other guy had become just as tall as him, so Jack didn't have to look down at him anymore, when he talked to him, as he had done previously when they had to interact in class. He was suddenly all grown up. The brunet in front of him raised one of his hands to his hair and tugged a little on one of his small braids and the act seemed very subconscious.

"By the way, what's with the braids all of the sudden?" Jack asked curiously, lifting one of his hands and pointing to the other boy's two small braids that stuck out from the rest of his messy brown hair. He was trying to lighten the mood obviously. It wasn't because he was actually curious about it, of course not.

Haddocks lips twitched and the Ravenclaw met his eyes again. This time the green eyes were gleaming with a hint of amusement. "It's a Viking heritage thing" he replied cryptically.

Jack furrowed his brow in surprise. Okay, that certainly wasn't an answer he was expecting. Vikings? Haddock didn't exactly look like a Viking. Far from it.

"Vikings, huh….Big burly men with bushy beards, helmets and axes?" he asked with a smirk gracing his lips.

"Yeah…Don't you see all that raw manly Vikingness that I've clearly inherited from my ancestors?" the brown-haired boy deadpanned, his slightly nasal voice lacking in any emotion, and Jack couldn't stop himself from chuckling at that. Okay, so he was actually serious about being a Viking. Well, that was interesting. He couldn't claim that he'd ever thought he'd be talking to a Viking.

"Well, not exactly. Although you have grown a lot. I mean seriously, what have you been eating to get that kind of growth spurt?" he replied, gesturing with his hands to underline the unusualness of Haddocks sudden change, amusement obvious in his airy voice. Jack briefly thought to himself that, depending on Haddocks answer, they should definitely consider making a product out of it and market it to small, scrawny boys. That would be a damn goldmine.

Haddock smirked, the corner of his green eyes crinkling, clearly finding his comment funny, which made Jack feel satisfied for some reason. Well, not some reason…he loved making other people smile and laugh. It somehow made him feel warm inside, as if he had achieved something truly special. Which he had, of course. Fun was always a special thing.

"Oh the usual….yak brains, chicken feet, fish scales…the traditional Viking recipe for growing" Haddock replied jokingly, while gesturing with his one free hand as he listed the gross items.

"Well, I'd rather be a midget than follow Viking tradition then" Jack declared with a defiant tone of voice and wrinkled his nose in disgust.

"Yeah, be glad you're not a Viking then. They don't take too well on breaking traditions".

Huh. It sounded like there was a story behind that statement, Jack thought. He rubbed one of his arms, and briefly wondered what kind of traditions had been broken…well, except the whole dragon thing of course. Maybe Vikings were actually really old-fashioned people, who didn't like the slightest change?

"Really? Why?" He asked curiously, tilting his head of snow-white hair slightly and putting one hand on his hip.

"Well…stubbornness issues" the other boy vaguely replied, a faint smile on his lips as if recalling some particular memory, as he pulled the books in his arms closer to his chest.

"So you and Astrid are actually Vikings?" Jack replied, remembering that she and Haddock grew up together. The thought of Astrid as a Viking seemed very fitting actually. She was clearly strong, confident and violent, and those were surely qualities that were appreciated in a Viking, right?

"Yes. And Fishlegs too" Haddock corrected him. Well, that was certainly surprising. He could definitely picture Astrid as a Viking, but Haddock…and now Fishlegs? They had both always seemed so shy and introverted, not exactly traits that one associated with Vikings. But on the other hand, there was bound to be some unusual Vikings around, just like with any other group of people.

"Fishlegs? So the three of you grew up together?"

"Yeah, we did." he simply stated with a slow nod. "We're all from the same little island in the barbaric archipelago".

Now that Jack thought about it, he could vaguely recall Mavis telling him something about Astrid being from some far off place with an odd name, and since Astrid and Haddock grew up together, naturally it had to be the same island. Now he wished that he had actually been paying attention when she'd told him about it and not been busy trying to fling little pieces of food at Flynn. The barbaric archipelago…that sounded so cool, he had to admit. Like something from a movie or a storybook. Definitely a name fit for the home of Vikings.

"That's awesome" Jack replied enthusiastically, a huge grin spreading on his face. Haddock raised an eyebrow in confusion, while observing him intently with those intelligent green eyes that seemed to be currently analyzing his words. An explanation was probably in order Jack thought to himself.

"Well, it's a lot more interesting than just being from some random English town. I mean, Vikings! Battles, mead, Thor, Odin, Valhalla, all that stuff" Jack explained, gesturing with his hands as he listed the things, still enthused. He was suddenly at little envious of the three students' interesting background. He couldn't exactly claim that he had any exotic or unusual cultural heritage. He would love to have that, to have some ties to a rich, ancient culture filled with great heroes and battles, mythological creatures and powerful gods.

Haddock just shook his head of brown locks, an entertained smirk on his face.

"You're interested in Norse mythology?" He asked and seemed almost amused by it. Jack found himself wondering why, but decided to elaborate on his stance on mythology.

"Yeah" he nodded eagerly. "Not just Norse mythology though. I'm not really religious, but religion and mythology are important parts of history, and also explain many of the traditions that we have today. I find that interesting…And also mythology is filled with awesome stories".

"Huh" Haddock said sounding surprised, while studying Jacks face with those observing green eyes that almost seemed to be able to read your mind. Jack felt slightly self-conscious for a second, before he quickly willed it away. He had always been a confident person, someone who was comfortable in his own skin. He rarely felt self-conscious and he wasn't about to start now.

"What?" He found himself asking curiously, lifting his hands in a slightly questioning manner, wondering what the other boy was thinking.

"You just…don't seem like the type to be into mythology and history" the brunet explained hesitantly, still having a vaguely entertained smile on his lips.

"Oh?"

"No offense" Haddock quickly said holding up one hand in a brief calming gesture, while clutching the books under one arm. Jack wasn't offended, he rarely was, but he was still curious to hear where this was going.

"It's just…you're almost always messing around" the Viking boy finished with a faint smile on his lips, as if he was recalling some of the pranks Jack had pulled off through the years. Which he couldn't blame him. All of his pranks were obviously strokes of pure genius.

Jack chuckled. That certainly explained it. "That's true. But that requires a certain discipline and intelligence too. What, do you think it's easy coming up with all those brilliant, mind-blowing pranks?"

"Yes" Haddock deadpanned with a hint of a challenge in his green orbs. Oh that little bastard Jack thought with laughter in his own eyes. Well, not so little anymore, but still a bastard nonetheless.

"What? I'm outraged! My artistic genius is clearly not being appreciated here!" he huffed dramatically, throwing his hands up in the air in a frustrated gesture to emphasize the drama.

Haddock lips quirked upwards. "Oh no, it's definitely appreciated. I'm sure making a frog poop in Astrids bag and switching Riders ingredients in potions is very draining creatively".

Huh. He had noticed Jack's little prank on Flynn earlier.

That cheeky nerd, insulting his awesome pranks Jack thought, while a bright grin spread across his face. "You really know how to break a prankster's heart, Haddock. I'm wounded" he said sadly and pouted, while clutching his chest, his facial features conveying a deep melancholy.

"Good". Haddock said with amusement in his eyes and then chuckled. "Something's going my way then…And you can call me Hiccup, if you want" he added, while gesturing with one hand as if he was somehow underlining his words with them. He seemed to do that a lot Jack thought. He hadn't noticed it before. "I'm not really a fan of the whole last name thing" Hiccup finished while doing a dismissive waving motion with one hand, as if trying to will away the whole tradition at Hogwarts of calling people you didn't know well by their surname.

Jack was surprised to say the least. He hadn't expected that, even though it was just a small simple gesture of friendliness. He found himself smiling warmly.

"Great. But then you have to call me Jack" he insisted. Not that he thought Hiccup would object to that.

Hiccup nodded in agreement and a brief moment of silence passed between them. Jack was slightly surprised to find that it wasn't awkward or tense this time. Still though, he would always prefer talking to silence. That whole 'silence is golden' thing is completely overrated.

"By the way…I hope it's okay to ask you this, but why that name? It's not exactly a common name…actually, that's definitely an understatement, I'm pretty sure you're the only one in the universe with that name" Jack said friendly while smiling brightly, wanting Hiccup to understand that he was being genuinely curious and not in any way malicious about it.

"It's a Viking thing" the Ravenclaw answered vaguely. More Viking ties Jack thought intrigued, while scratching the back of his head in a few quick movements.

"How so?" he asked the brunet in front of him. It seemed like there were many interesting ties between Hiccup and this Viking heritage, and it wasn't often he came across people with rich cultural backgrounds. He found himself wanting to genuinely know more about it.

"Many Vikings named their children strange or horrible names. It used to be because they believed that it would scare off trolls and gnomes, but now it's just a tradition" Hiccup explained while once again gesturing with one of his hands. He seemed more relaxed now, his shoulders not nearly as tense and his stance not nearly as guarded as before, while he was explaining this tradition to Jack, which the Gryffindor was pleased with.

"Seriously?" Jack chuckled. "That's just weird…but Fishlegs have it way worse than you"

"Most people think that…I still remember the first time you heard our names when we were sorted and got detention because you couldn't stop laughing".

Jack was a bit embarrassed that Hiccup brought this up. Yes, his 11 year old self had found the names hilarious, but it was only afterwards, when he was a bit older, that he realized he might have hurt the two boys' feelings. Now he felt a slight blush creep into his cheek, but he quickly willed it away and his face fell back into its usual confident folds. He usually never blushed, but this was actually a little embarrassing.

"I almost choked on the piece of candy I was eating too" Jack added matter-of-factly. "But seriously, I'm sorry that I laughed at your names…it was a bit insensitive". He hoped that Hiccup didn't hold a grudge, though somehow he already knew that he didn't. Then a brief thought occurred to him. Hiccup had said that most people _think _that Fishlegs has it worse than him name-wise. Now that Jack thought about it, it seemed like the brunet disagreed with people on that. He wasn't going to ask about it though, as it could be kind of personal. Actually not could be, it was definitely something that would be personal.

Hiccup raised an eyebrow at his apologetic words. "Jack Frost, concerned with his manners? I never thought I'd see the day"

"Come on, I'm not that bad" Jack laughed. It was true that he was rarely concerned with manners and rules, but he never intended to be rude or insensitive to anyone. He wanted to have fun and mess around, but he didn't want to hurt people's feelings. He wasn't a jerk.

"Yeah, you are" Hiccup deadpanned with a blank expression that underlined the lack of emotion.

"Aww, come on, I'm actually a nice person, you know" Jack defended himself in a slightly whiny tone, that he wasn't entirely sure where was coming from.

Hiccup waved his hand in some dismissive motions, as if banishing Jacks objections. "I'm just kidding Jack, it's fine. We're pretty much used to it by now. At least you stopped finding it so funny. Others still can't let it go".

Jack frowned, but was relieved on the inside that Hiccup didn't hold it against him. "Well, it doesn't matter what they think" he said defiantly and shrugged. He _had _noticed that some students still made fun of Hiccup and Fishlegs sometimes because of their names, but he avoided mentioning that. He didn't want to make Hiccup uncomfortable.

"I know" Hiccup said calmly, giving Jack a small smile. Jack would never admit it, but he sort of admired Hiccups resilience. The boy hadn't had the easiest time at Hogwarts, being teased and a few times even threatened and shoved around after pissing off some students, who had bothered him or his friends, but he didn't stop his sarcastic and clever comments, and he always refused to give bullies what they wanted. It was actually a little impressive, especially since he was so scrawny back then.

"So I guess Astrid was the lucky one of you three" Jack said in amusement, referring to their naming traditions.

"Yeah, I guess. Although I don't think the name would have suited me or Fishlegs" Hiccup replied jokingly and furrowed his brow as if he was contemplating how the name would fit him.

Jack chuckled. "Aw, come on. Fishlegs has always had a certain feminine grace"

Hiccup sputtered at that, his eyes wide with amusement for a few seconds and Jack felt happy that he could make him laugh like that. After all, it seemed that the guy had a lot on his mind lately, and he appeared tense and restrained, so getting him to loosen up a little would be good for him. It was always a really satisfying feeling, whenever he could get someone to genuinely laugh and just let their worries drift away at least for a little while.

"Right. He's always had the delicate soul of a dancer" Hiccup replied sarcastically with mirth in his eyes. "And Astrid's favourite things are puppies and rainbows" he deadpanned.

Jack couldn't contain the laughter that escaped his mouth, as he imagined Astrid with her arms full of fluffy, white puppies running happily on a meadow beneath a sky full of rainbows. That was just…wrong.

"Good point. She's always been more of a battleaxes and spewing blood kind of girl, huh?"

"Oh yeah. She communicates using an intricate system of punches, threats and glares, occasionally spiced up with the rolling of eyes" Hiccup chuckled. "But really, she means well. She's very protective of those she cares about". He smiled softly, as he finished the sentence. Obviously he cared about the feisty blonde Gryffindor girl, which made sense since they grew up together. Jack would probably never be very fond of Astrid, since their personalities clashed as much as they did.

"Yeah. I mean, I don't know her that well, but she seems to take good care of her friends" Jack said honestly and ran a hand through his snow-white, spiky hair in a swift movement. He and Astrid didn't always see eye to eye, as she was quite commanding and serious and he was more about having fun and getting along with everyone, so it was unavoidable that their personalities clashed once in a while. She did however seem like a great friend to those she cared about, always being fiercely protective and ready to defend them against anything. That was definitely one of her redeeming qualities, although Jack would rather spend an eternity in the hot desert sun than admit that to the girl.

Hiccup nodded slowly and left his grip on the books loosen a little. "She really does. She still looks out for me and Fishlegs, even though we're not little kids anymore" he said with a certain soft fondness in his green eyes.

"You're totally still a little kid, Hiccup." Jack said teasingly and gave him a smart-ass smirk.

"Says the person who gets ridiculously excited about snow and starts every single snowball fight" Hiccup rolled his eyes in amused defiance.

So Hiccup had noticed that. Well, most people probably had, now that he thought about it. After all, that was one of the reasons everyone called him Jack Frost. He was notorious for throwing snowballs at anyone and everyone, sometimes sparking fun and excited snowball fights, other times getting aggravated looks and grunts of discontent.

"Snow IS exciting! And I'm all about snowballs and fun times" he smirked at the other boy, while crossing his arms in protest.

"You should really consider officially changing your name to Jack Frost" Hiccup retorted dryly and gave Jack a crooked smirk of his own. "You definitely have that whole winter vibe going on. You could even team up with Professor Mansnoozie: Jack Frost and the Sandman" the Ravenclaw finished, referring to Professor Mansnoozie's nickname among the Hogwarts students. The short, golden-haired Professor was mild-mannered and most students were fond of him, but he had the uncanny ability of being able to fall asleep in some very strange places. He was also mute, so he communicated by spelling out words and pictures with golden sand, which didn't exactly help deter the students' use of the nickname.

Jack chuckled, as he imagined him and Professor Mansnoozie in some well-designed superhero costumes, standing on a rooftop overlooking a massive city in the dark of night, their capes blowing in the wind. His costume would obviously be the coolest. "Hmm, we _would_ make a good team…What, with his calm, non-threatening demeanor but huge magical force and my terribly good looks and superior intelligence." Jack heard Hiccup snort. "But I don't think I want to spend my time teaming up with a narcoleptic dreamweaver, who could fall asleep while we're battling the Boogeyman or something"

Hiccup gave him a lopsided grin, revealing straight, white teeth with a slight gap between his front teeth. Jack had never noticed that before.

"Well, Jack…" Hiccup started. "I better get going now, if I want to do some reading before it's time for bed".

"Sure. I'll see you around Hiccup. Nice talking to you" Jack said sincerely, although he had to admit to himself that he was a bit disappointed that their conversation was over. The Ravenclaw was surprisingly amusing to talk to.

"You too. See you around, Jack" Hiccup said and gave him a small wave, before turning around and walking out of the library and down the hall, carrying the dragon books under one arm.

Jack stayed at the library for a few moments, looking at the exit where Hiccup had left before heading towards the Great Hall. His friends were probably wondering what took him so long, and his stomach was beginning to growl, sneering at him for not having eaten in a while. As he made his way down the old stone corridors of the old magical castle that was his second home, he wondered about the conversation he had just had with Hiccup. They'd exchanged a few words several times during classes, but they'd never had an actual conversation before. The brown-haired teen was definitely more, than he had appeared in the last six years, and Jack decided that Hiccup seemed to be pretty awesome. He had already known that the boy was smart, quick-witted and had a dry, sarcastic humor that had always appealed to Jack, but now he knew that the two of them actually hit it off, enjoying the friendly banter that seemed to come so natural to the two of them, Jack secretly found himself hoping that he would get to talk to Hiccup again sometime soon.

When Jack entered the Great Hall, only a few scattered students remained at the house tables, and he was met with the faint sound of a few peoples clinking cutlery and a slight buzz of relaxed conversation. It was a nice change from the usually overwhelming noise in the Hall, which could sometimes practically give Jack a headache. As he approached his respective House table, he wondered if there was any good food left. He didn't care too much though, as he wasn't a picky eater. There were actually very few kinds of food that he disliked. The real question was probably whether Merida had beaten him to it, clearing every plate and bowl in sight. He chuckled on the inside at the thought, as he spotted his three friends sitting by the longtable, discussing something, and waiting for him to join them. As he approached them, Merida's frustrated voice reached his ears.

"She just doesn't understand!" his wild-haired friend groaned and slammed a palm on the table. "She thinks that girls shouldn't play Quidditch at all…or any kind of sports". Ah, this again Jack thought. He really did feel for his friend, as her mother wasn't even close to accepting of her daughter's favorite pastime.

Mavis and Flynn both nodded in sympathy. "You're not going to let that stop you though, are you?" Mavis asked, concerned, reaching out a hand and softly placing it on top of Meridas.

"No, I just wish that she would let it go. If it wasn't for my dad, I would never be allowed to play"

Jacks friends smiled fondly at him as, he sat down at the table next to Merida, reaching out his hand and patting her back gently a few times, before letting it drop to his side again.

"Problems with your mum again?" he asked softly as a way of getting into the conversation, although the answer was obvious to him. Merida had complained about her mother regularly over the years, so her problems didn't come as a surprise to any one of her friends.

"Yeah. It's so obvious that she's disappointed in me. I just got a letter from her, where she reminded me that she's not happy about it…_again_" Merida replied, sounding tired and irritated.

Jack felt bad for Merida. He didn't have any parents expecting something special from him. Well, he had his adoptive parents and his sister, but none of them tried to change him or make him do things he didn't want to do. He gently started rubbing small circles on Meridas back to give her some comfort.

"I'm sorry, Mer. But you're an awesome Quidditch player and you love it, so it doesn't matter what she thinks…and if you ever repeat this, I'll deny it to the day I die, but we need you on the team" Jack said fondly. It was though. Merida was an excellent beater and she added a lot to the team.

Merida chuckled and gave him a small smile "Thanks Jack" she said, sounding less tired and annoyed. She only used Jacks real name, when they were having a sincere, intimate moment, and Jack smiled warmly at hearing it escape her lips.

"We're all here for you, Red" Flynn said affectionately. "And if you need cheering up, I could always hold you close and whisper in your ear" he said, as he changed his voice to a low, seductive tone and gave Merida a dazzling smile, flashing his straight, white teeth.

Merida and Jack snorted simultaneously at the absurd joke. During their banter, whenever Flynn threw out the sexual comments, Merida would often resort to violence or at least the threat of pain, seeing as Flynn was a popular good-looking guy, but not much of a fighter. Jack loved listening to their banter – and sometimes participating in it, usually to rile one of them up more. He _was_ the mischievous part of the group after all.

"No thanks, Rider. I'd rather let my mum dress me" she retorted and made a disgusted face, as if both of the scenarios were truly horrifying.

"Ouch, that's harsh, Curly" Flynn replied, holding a hand over his heart in mock sadness. "You really know how to break a man".

"Yeah, a foot in the crotch and a knee in the stomach" Merida deadpanned and cracked her knuckles in a terrifying gesture.

Jack and Flynn both winced at her words, their eyes wide in horror, while Mavis chuckled softly.

"Oof!...That's just…evil" Jack said in disbelief, as he briefly considered the excruciating pain of being kicked in the groin. Flynn nodded in agreement.

"Yeah, no need to crush a man's spirit" Flynn added, his hands held up in in pretend surrender.

Merida smiled evilly. "Oh, there's always a need for that" she replied in a low, dangerous voice.

"Okay, I take it back. I don't want to hold you. You are the devil" Flynn quickly said, pointing an accusing finger at Merida. Jack couldn't exactly disagree with that, Merida was definitely evil he thought to himself in amusement.

Merida snorted. "Don't be such a wuss, Rider" she replied, her blue eyes gleaming with a challenging amusement.

Mavis, who had observed the banter with a smile on her face, apparently then decided that it was time for a change of subject.

"So Jack…why were you so late? It couldn't have taken that long to drop the book of?" she asked curiously and looked at him with questioning blue eyes. Oh right. He hadn't even told them that he'd talked to Hiccup. Not that it was a big deal, but he imagined that they'd still like to know about it.

"Yeah, what were you up to, Frosty? Did you actually manage to get in trouble on that short walk?" Merida asked, trying to sound disapproving, but everyone knew that she loved Jacks pranks and mischief.

"Oooh, what's her name, Jackie?" Flynn asked curiously, waggling his eyebrows suggestively and leaning slightly in over the table in curious anticipation.

"What? No! It's nothing like that. I ran into Hiccup at the library and we talked" Jack explained. He liked the way the Ravenclaws first name felt rolling off his tongue. It was unfamiliar but not in a bad way.

"Hiccup?" Flynn asked, his brow furrowed in confusion. Well, obviously his friends would be confused. He would be too, if they'd suddenly started calling the Ravenclaw Hiccup out of the blue.

"He told me to call him that. Apparently, he's not a fan of the whole using peoples' last names" Jack explained, while making some dismissive motions with one of his hands, mirroring Hiccups movements when he had told Jack about it.

"What did you talk about?" Mavis asked curiously, tucking a black lock of hair behind one of her ears. "You don't usually talk".

"I know, I know. I just ran into him and saw him carrying some interesting books, so we started talking about that, and then we just started talking about other stuff".

"Did he say anything about the dragons?" Merida asked, sounding excited by the prospect of possible getting some information about the large fire-breathing reptiles, even though the Gryffindors had agreed on leaving the Ravenclaw alone, unlike many of their fellow students.

Jack quickly shook his head. "Nah, and I didn't ask. I figured that he's probably sick of all the attention, he's been getting lately. We just talked a bit about his friends, and where they're from…and Vikings" he told his friends. Jack smiled to himself. He wanted to know more about Vikings, maybe he should ask Hiccup to tell him more, next time he saw him, if it didn't seem too awkward.

"What? Vikings?" Flynn inquired with a furrowed brow and confusion in his brown eyes. "Why would you talk about Vikings?"

"Because apparently, Hiccup, Astrid and Fishlegs are all Vikings…The culture is apparently still alive today back where they're from" Jack said enthused. He still thought that was really cool.

"Yeah, Astrid's told me a few things about that" Mavis said, obviously interested in what Jack had to say on the subject. But then again, she was interested in anything historical and cultural. She was the academic brains of their little group.

"Pfft, Vikings are nothing compared to Scots" Merida insisted. She ignored the rolling of eyes and snorts from the three other teens.

"Well obviously, no one could ever be equal to you, your red-haired Curlyness" Flynn commented dryly. Merida ignored the nickname this time, which was pretty unusual. "But Vikings are still cool. I mean, battles, vikingships, mead, the whole thing!" Flynn finished excitedly, while gesturing with his hands.

"Hmf, I guess" Merida agreed, though reluctantly. Jack shook his head, smiling at his stubborn red-haired friend. She was incredibly proud of her ancient Scottish heritage. Merida was actually a part of an old aristocratic family, although no one would know it by her wild appearance and gruff, unpolished demeanor.

"Anyway, it seems that they keep a lot of Viking traditions alive today" Jack said to get back on topic. "Like, Hiccup told me that the reason he and Fishlegs have funny names is because Vikings used to believe, that giving their kids strange or horrible names would scare off gnomes and trolls" he finished, amusement in his voice, as he still found the idea pretty funny. Who would be scared off simply by some kid's name? Not very courageous trolls or gnomes that's for sure.

Giggles erupted from his three friends, who seemed to agree with him on the matter.

"That is just strange" Mavis stated. "But I guess people believe a lot of weird things".

"Definitely" Jack nodded eagerly. "Like Flynn believing that his Smolder has some sort of magic power" he continued teasingly, not being able to resist.

Mavis and Merida both giggled at that, while Flynn huffed and pretended to look offended, sticking his nose in the air.

"For your information, Frost, it's a highly effective weapon that only a skilled datingmaster such as myself can use" Flynn remarked. "Too dangerous for amateurs such as yourself" he added, with an evil smile.

"Ouch, Rider" Jack said feigning offense. "That was cold, even for you. I'm not that inexperienced, I'll have you know".

"Oh I know, but you're no me either" Flynn said proudly in mock arrogance, while Mavis shook her head and Jack chuckled slightly. It was true though. Jack was a popular guy and he was used to girls watching him with adoration in their eyes, passing him flirty notes or smiling shyly at him, but he was nowhere near as experienced as Flynn. Sure, Jack had kissed and even snogged several girls, but he hadn't had sex yet, unlike Flynn. Somehow he didn't seem to be in a rush about it though. He had had crushes on girls through the years, but they all died down rather quickly and were replaced with friendliness.

After Jack had managed to get something to eat from the slim pickings that were left over from the other Gryffindors, the four teens retreated to the Gryffindor common room and spent the rest of the evening in front of the warm, comforting fireplace talking and laughing the evening away, before it was time for bed. It hadn't been a particularly trying day, but somehow Jack found himself exhausted, and his eyes closed and he instantly fell asleep, as soon as his white head of hair hit the soft pillow.


	4. Keeping up appearances

Author's note: This is the first chapter where we get Hiccups point of view, and it will switch between Jack and Hiccup. Their names will appear when it switches though, so no one will be left confused :)

~~~~ Hiccup ~~~~

He had gotten used to being alone. He was a failure and a disappointment to his father and a lost cause to everyone else. For 15 years Hiccup had seen that look in his father's eyes, whenever the large red-haired Viking chief looked at his small, scrawny son. That look of discontent and resignation that reminded Hiccup of someone who was subject to some cruel fate they couldn't escape. Hiccup had been lonely. No one really bothered to spend time with him or understand him, and apparently he could never do anything right, even though he tried his best. The people of Berk mostly left him alone, but they were always watching him with their judgmental eyes, burning into his skin, just waiting for him to mess something up, so they could agree what a huge screw up he was. He was an outcast. Gobber was the only one who had at least tried to help him, by letting him be his apprentice and teach him all that he knew about working with metals and leather. Hiccup actually did quite well in Gobber's workshop, quickly learning to develop his skills and actually being of some use, since he could help Gobber repair weapons for the other Vikings. However, it was not enough for his father, who still eyed him with that same disappointed glare that made Hiccups gut turn into knots. They were basically strangers, since his father never took the time to get to know Hiccup, always wanting him to be someone he wasn't. To be honest though, Hiccup also held part of the blame himself.

As the years went by, he could barely stand looking at his father, and he did his best trying to avoid him. Sometimes he would run off into the woods to go exploring or to find somewhere quiet to sketch. Other times he would just stay in his room, working on some inventions, reading or finishing some drawings. They were not father and son anymore. They were only strangers. The other teens on Berk didn't accept him either. Fishlegs talked to him once in a while and obviously cared about him, but his parents didn't want him hanging around Hiccup, worried that the scrawny disappointment would somehow corrupt their son. His cousin Snotlout and the twins were the worst. They constantly reminded him what a failure he was, usually by giving him horrible nicknames like "Hiccup the Useless", mocking his height and build and shoving him into things. Astrid had been content to just pretend he didn't exist. He had had a crush on her for years, though convinced that she would never see him that way, so he kept it to himself. He had admired her strength and resilience, while being captivated by her beauty, and he had not been alone in that. Almost every Viking boy on Berk had had a crush on Astrid. She was fierce, pretty and a true Viking. Who wouldn't want her? However, as the years went by and Hiccup, Astrid and Fishlegs went off to Hogwarts, his crush slowly died down. His father had seemed to approve of him slightly more, as he found out that his son was magical. Magic was a rare thing in the barbaric archipelago, reserved for only a few powerful witches and wizards that managed to help protect the massive area and keep it shielded from the muggles. Therefore, it was a huge surprise to everyone that three children on Berk were going off to the magical school so far away. It was very uncommon for that many children on one island to be magical, and Hiccup knew that his father had been beyond shocked that his scrawny, failure of a son had magic flowing in his veins. Their relationship seemed to become a tiny bit less strained after that, but it was still damaged and Hiccup continued to see that look of resigned disappointment in his father's eyes that tore him up from the inside out.

Everything in Hiccups life had changed after the battle with the Red Death and it all began the day he met Toothless. The black dragon was his soulmate. They were part of each other and nothing would ever come between them. He knew that he could always count on Toothless no matter what happened. The dragon had put his trust in the Viking boy and vice-versa, as Hiccup had built an artificial tailfin for the Night Fury, and they had learned how to fly as a team, and a strong, unbreakable friendship had formed. Hiccup smiled whenever he thought of his beloved scaly friend. He would die protecting him, and he knew that Toothless would do the same for him. He loved Rapunzel and Fishlegs as well, but Toothless would always hold a place in his heart that no one could ever match.

After he had saved the Vikings from the Red Death, his status in the village had changed immediately. Suddenly everyone saw him in a different light. He had become a hero. A very unlikely hero, but a hero nonetheless. His father was proud of him now, and their relationship had changed a lot for the better. The other teens had accepted him and let him into their group, even though he would never actually become friends with Snotlout. Him and Fishlegs had grown a lot closer too. They'd been friends since they started at Hogwarts at 11, since his parents couldn't stop him from hanging out with Hiccup at the magical school, but when they were back home, they would go their separate ways. Hiccup knew that Fishlegs didn't like it, but that was the way it had to be back then. Now however, they were free to spend as much time together as they wanted back home and that had deepened their friendship considerably.

His status had continued to improve drastically as he started the Dragon Training Academy, and he and Fishlegs had begun to work on expanding the book of dragons with all Hiccups knowledge. More and more Vikings began making friends with the dragons, and these days almost everyone had their own dragon on Berk. He had trained the other teens, teaching them how to create trust between them and their dragons, how to get their dragons to listen to them, how to fly safely, and many other things at the Dragon Training Academy. He had become an authority on dragons, and everyone came to him if they had questions or issues with the large animals. Hiccup didn't mind though, as he had finally found what he wanted to do with his life: study and protect dragons. The only problem was that his father still expected him to take over as chief in the future, and Hiccup didn't know how to tell him, that he didn't want to. He was positive that he didn't have what it would take to lead the entire tribe. His relationship with his father had finally gotten a lot better. They were no longer strangers, and Stoick the Vast actually cared about what Hiccup did, felt and thought now, but of course he knew that he couldn't keep putting it off. He just felt sick every time he thought about it. He really didn't want to go back to being a disappointment, now that he had finally shown them all that he could do something right. He was torn between doing what his father wanted and what would make him happy. Logically he knew that he couldn't live his life for someone else, but emotionally he felt that this was an impossible choice. He wasn't a chief, who could plan, lead and take responsibility for a whole island, who could form and maintain diplomatic relations with other tribes, who could inspire and be an example to his tribesmen. He knew in his heart that he was something else entirely. He was a dragon rider. He wanted to explore far off lands with Toothless, find and study all existing species of dragons, and keep filling the book of dragons with new knowledge and detailed illustrations. He also wanted to protect the dragons of the archipelago against trappers and others that intended to use them for their own selfish purposes. This was what he wanted. Did he dare to shatter his father's dreams though? That he didn't know yet. The fact that his future was already decided for him had always loomed over him, poking at his thoughts when he was most content. Through the years it was always right there, hovering over him, clinging to him, making sure that he wasn't forgetting the responsibilities that he didn't want.

Now his secret regarding the dragons was out at Hogwarts too, and just like it happened at his village, everyone started to treat him differently. He had been glad to be accepted by the other Vikings, finally having them see him for him, but he had wanted to keep things secret at his school. First of all, it was a threat to the dragons the more people that knew about the dragon-riding Vikings. Second of all, he simply hated the attention. People who had never cared for him before were suddenly trying to be his friends. Girls that had always ignored him were suddenly giving him flirty notes and winking and giggling at him. He found the whole thing very awkward, and he struggled to be comfortable in his own skin now. They didn't know anything about him, and yet they wanted to hear what he had to say, wanted to be near him, to be seen with him. It was frustrating. He tried his best to be kind and polite to everyone who approached him, but none of these people would become his friend. He couldn't trust their motivations, and he wasn't going to open himself up to anyone only to have it smashed to pieces, when they went off and shared his secrets with everyone else. He had always been content at Hogwarts with just studying and hanging out with Rapunzel and Fishlegs in peace, not drawing too much attention to himself. That was definitely not an option anymore. His secret was out and there was nothing he could do about it, despite how much he loathed it. He really didn't like losing control over a situation, and now the whole school was running wild with rumors about him and the dragons. It wasn't going to be easy to handle this, but he would just need to be patient and wait for this whole thing to blow over. In time the other students would probably lose interest in him and go back to ignoring him, which was what he preferred. At least he hoped that's what would happen. If not, it was going to be two very strained last years at Hogwarts.

~~~~ Hiccup ~~~~

Hiccup woke up at dawn, as he attempted to do every day. A slim ray of sunshine made its way through a gap in the curtain on the window next to his bed, creating a beautiful, shimmering, orange beam through the dark room. He sighed happily, blinking a few times to focus his vision and sat up in his bed, pulling the thick, soft blanket away. The cold of the brisk morning caused goosebumps to form in thousands of little dots on his skin, and he immediately craved the warmth and comfort of his warm, cozy bed once more. He didn't have time for that though, so he'd just have to get dressed quickly to gain some warmth. He got to his feet (well, foot) and immediately noticed how cool the wooden floor was beneath his sole, as it sent a chill up his spine.

He hobbled towards the chair standing next to his bed, and reached out to grab the neatly folded pile of clothes he had put there last night. He took off the loose t-shirt that he slept in and threw it on the chair, while quickly proceeding to pull a soft, green long sleeved shirt over his head, eager to immediately get some warmth to spread through his body and chase away that unpleasant, tingling chilly sensation that was currently invading his skin. He unfolded his dark green pants and quickly stuck them on, being extra careful with putting his stump through it. He only wore these green leather pants, when he went flying with Toothless…well, he only wore leather and armor at all, when he went flying with his best friend or when he was back at Berk. He quickly stuck a thick, wooly sock on his remaining foot that always managed to keep it warm and snug from the chilly winds, and afterwards he put on a large black and brown leather boot.

He picked up his prosthetic foot that was lying next to his bed as usual, and hastily strapped it on around his stump. The process of getting his artificial limb in place had been made considerably more time-efficient as he had made more and more adjustments to it over the last two years. His first couple of prosthetics had been a lot cruder than this one, and they'd taken several minutes to put on. Now however, it only took about 10-15 seconds. As he often did, he felt a tug of satisfaction with how well the limb had turned out. It had taken him a long time and many attempts to perfect the prosthetic, and even longer to truly get used to it, but now it didn't weigh heavily on his mind anymore. It had somehow become a part of him, something that would be strange if it wasn't there anymore. He still felt pain by the prosthetic sometimes though, and that was something he wished he could be without. Even though he had designed the fake limb to be as comfortable as possible and fitting him perfectly, the pain at the end of a long day of wearing it and moving around couldn't be avoided. That was the price of losing something as precious as a limb. He also still struggled with phantom pains once in a while, and those were definitely the most tiring part of having lost his left foot, as the intensity of the sudden pain made it difficult for him to do anything but wait for it to leave his body again. The feeling of his left foot still being there even though it wasn't was very unnerving. He knew that it wasn't there. He knew that it was just his mind playing tricks on him. He could easily rationalize it…and yet he couldn't will the pain away. He couldn't banish the sensation of his left foot suddenly being attached to him again and being exposed to massive shocks of pain. At those times he would retreat to somewhere quiet with some painkilling potion. The potion could only take the edge of though, and he was certain it must be because it wasn't only a physical, tangible pain but a psychological pain as well. No magic could soothe that kind of distress. He definitely didn't want to be around anyone, not even his friends, when he had one of those days. He didn't want anyone to pity him, it made him feel weak and helpless, and it reminded him of the way things used to be back home. Back when everyone had thought of him as useless and unable to take care of himself. He also didn't want his friends to worry. He knew how much they cared for him, and he truly appreciated their concern, but he didn't want to cause them any distress. He could handle the pain, even though it made him exhausted and it was deeply unpleasant. He had done that before. Luckily he didn't experience the phantom pains as often as he had in the first year after he lost his foot.

Kneeling next to his bed, he reached out his hand underneath the big piece of furniture and pulled out the familiar, brown chest containing his armor. He slowly opened it, being careful not to make a sound, and pulled out all the pieces, laying them on the bed. As he had gotten to his feet once more, and concealed the chest beneath the bed again, he began to put on his leather and metal armor piece by piece as quietly as possible, starting with the brown leather protective leg covers that were snuggly strapped on along the side of both his legs and finished with the black metal armor that covered the top of his torso and his shoulders, along with the black shoulderpad with the red Hairy Hooligan motif. He kept his armor in that chest under his bed, so other students wouldn't' accidentally see it. If they did, it would certainly raise a lot of questions and he desperately wanted to avoid that. In the bed next to his, Fishlegs was snoring loudly and mumbling something that Hiccup couldn't hear. He turned his head to observe Fishlegs for a few seconds and smiled softly at his friend. Fishlegs always snored and the first couple of days at Hogwarts, Hiccup had barely gotten any sleep at all. He'd gotten used to it since then, thank the gods. He tucked his wand in long, slim pocket on one of his black and brown leather arm covers and put his long black cloak on, so no one would notice his armor, at least not right away, if he happened to meet someone on the way. Not that that was very likely. He never met anyone, when he was up this early. He slung his black bag over his right shoulder, and began walking slowly and quietly towards the door to the common room.

"Wait" Fishlegs suddenly said urgently, and Hiccup froze in his tracks immediately, hoping that Fishlegs wouldn't wake any of the others with that sudden outburst. He remained completely still for a few seconds, listening intently to any signs of someone waking up. He breathed a short sigh of relief, when he didn't hear anyone stirring.

"What's up, Fish?" Hiccup asked quietly, while turning around and facing the other boy, only to realize that Fishlegs was still asleep. His eyes were closed and he was breathing loudly, while turning in the bed to lay on his other side. Hiccup shook his head and smiled to himself. He should have known. Fishlegs talked in his sleep a lot. Sometimes he could actually have conversations with the sleeping boy, but his absurd answers always made Hiccup laugh. He would often get angry with Hiccup in his sleep, while they had these conversations. Fishlegs would suddenly sit up in the bed and say something like "what's that?" sounding disturbed and alert, and Hiccup would ask "what's what?", to which the larger boy would only say "that's none of your business!" or some other angry retort before his head hit the pillow again and he was snoring loudly once more. Naturally, the next day Fishlegs never remembered any of their conversations but always apologized for being a cranky drama queen in his sleep, even though Hiccup had told him many times that it was perfectly fine.

"The, the…unicorn is coming straight at me" Fishlegs muttered sounding disturbed, his brow furrowed and his nose crinkled in obvious distress.

"Just get Meatlug to chase it away" Hiccup said softly and chuckled afterwards.

Fishlegs turned in his sleep once more. "Right, right…" he said, sounding much more calm now. "Come here, girl. Come here, Meatlug" he cooed, as if luring Meatlug closer.

Hiccup shook his head, and then continued on his way out the door. The stairs to the common room were old and always creaked, no matter how carefully he walked. It was especially difficult to be quiet on creaking wood with a metal prosthetic, but he never woke anyone regardless. He made it to the large Ravenclaw common room, which was completely deserted, as he had expected. The large room with the high dome ceiling painted like the stars, comfy dark blue sofas and armchairs, huge stone fireplace and Ravenclaw banners was bathed in the orange and pink glow from the sunrise, the gentle beams making it through the top windows that were not covered by curtains. As he walked past the table where he, Fishlegs and Rapunzel had sat last night talking and studying, he found that Rapunzel had forgotten to take her sketchbook with her, when she went to bed. He and Rapunzel were both artistic souls at the core, and he was glad that he had someone to share that hobby with. No one back at Berk cared too much about drawing and painting. He flipped the sketchbook open to the sketch that she was working on last night and grinned, when he saw the drawing of Pascal in a hot air balloon wearing a top hat. He had told her last night that she was insane and he stuck by it, but they both knew that he said it with love. One of the best things about Rapunzel was her strange ideas and bubbly personality, and he would never want to change that about her. He closed the sketchbook again and put it in his bag. Rapunzel wouldn't want someone else to find it and look at her drawings, so he figured that he would give it to her later.

Once again he didn't see anyone else, as he made his way to the castle kitchens and received a fish from the house elves, who were luckily sworn to secrecy. As he exited the old, magical castle, he walked in a fast pace towards the Quidditch pitch, and still didn't encounter anyone, which he was thankful for. It was stressful to keep up this secret, but he didn't really have a choice. He didn't want to think about what would happen, if the other students knew about it. Well, except Fishlegs, Rapunzel and Astrid who already knew, but he trusted them. They would never share his secrets with anyone. As he walked around the pitch and went east for about five minutes, he came to a small forest. It was much smaller than the Forbidden Forest, but it didn't have any dark creatures, so that was a definite plus in his book. He reached the edge of the small forest, and began walking towards his destination. Twigs and leaves cracked and snapped under his feet, and the early sunlight of dawn streamed lazily through the gaps in the treetops, bathing the small forest in a nice, calming radiance. He hummed a melody that he couldn't remember where he'd heard, as he continued to make his way through the old, twisted trees. The morning air was cool and fresh, and he suddenly felt energized by it, as it chased away the last residue of fatigue. He took a deep breath and felt the cold, brisk air reach his lungs, and then slowly exhaled.

He found his thoughts wandering to a certain white-haired Gryffindor boy, as his feet continued to carry him across the soft, mossy forestfloor, covered with multi-colored leaves that crackled underneath his boot and his prosthetic. He had to admit, that Jack had taken him by surprise at the library. He hadn't expected the notorious prankster to be so easy to talk to. On the other hand, Jack was obviously a social butterfly, so perhaps Hiccup shouldn't be surprised. He was one of those easy going people, who could talk to popular kids and outcasts alike, spreading cheer wherever he went. A true extrovert, where Hiccup was a classic introvert. Even so, he had really enjoyed their friendly banter and Jacks intrigue towards his Viking heritage. He rarely connected with anyone at Hogwarts except Fishlegs, Rapunzel and Astrid and one of the last people he had expected to form a kind of bond with was the snow-haired prankster, but as Hiccup often reminded himself: there's always more. People aren't their assigned House, they aren't their friends, their family, their looks or their hobbies. There's always more. Always something more underneath the surface which can shake people's ideas of who that person really is. Hiccup knew this better than most. Back home everyone had dismissed him as weak and useless, before he saved the others from the Red Death and made peace between the dragons and the Vikings. At Hogwarts, he was fairly certain that he had been regarded as just a sarcastic bookworm. However, there was much more to him than that, even if most people didn't know it and would never get to find out. It would probably shock most people at Hogwarts to learn that he was an adrenaline junkie, who loved doing dangerous, inventive drills with Toothless that no other dragon rider would experiment with. However, it was a natural human categorization to think you know someone because of shallow observations, and Hiccup himself was guilty of it as well. It was this kind of categorization that had caused him to be surprised, that he and Jack actually had things in common. On the outside they seemed so different, but when they had actually talked to each other, they clearly had some kind of understanding, some kind of joint idea of what was fun and interesting.

He picked up his pace, eager to get as much time as possible, before the other students woke up and he had to get back. He reached the small clearing, where the entrance of the familiar cave lay nearby. He smiled warmly to himself and plopped down his black bag on the grass.

Suddenly a huge black mass came bounding out of the cave, almost in a blur, and toppled him over, so he landed on his back on the cold, wet grass. Large green eyes with round pupils observed him happily, and big black paws pinned him down by the chest, the massive weight causing his breathing to become strained.

"Hey bud, did you miss me?" Hiccup said affectionately, and his heart tugged with warmth at the loving look in his dragon's green eyes. Toothless always missed him, no matter if he was gone in minutes or hours, and he felt the same way. Any time away from Toothless was unnatural to him, so being at Hogwarts was difficult for both of them, as they had to be separated for most of the day.

The black dragon replied by licking his face covering him in Night Fury saliva, the wet, sticky substance drenching his hair and face.

"Eww, Toothless!" he exclaimed, and the dragon removed itself from him, while making a low warbling sound that Hiccup had come to know well as laughter. That sound always made him feel happy and bubbly inside, even when Toothless was being a smart ass.

"Well, I'm glad you're so amused by my misery, you useless reptile" he said sarcastically and rolled his eyes. Toothless gave him a toothless smile in return, and he couldn't contain the fond smile that graced his lips.

Hiccup chuckled. "I missed you too, bud" he said warmly and scratched under the Night Fury's chin a few times, causing the dragon to purr in content.

They had seen each other last night, as Hiccup tried his best to spend time with Toothless in the early morning and late night every day, but it still wasn't the same as being around each other all day, like they were on Berk. Hiccup truly wished that Toothless could be by his side all the time, but that just wasn't possible right now. It would be a bittersweet day, when he finished his education at Hogwarts, as he really enjoyed learning more about magic and being around his friends and would miss that a lot, but would be able to have Toothless around all the time.

Toothless approached the bag that he had plopped on the grass and sniffed excitedly at it, obviously very aware that there was a fish inside.

"Oh right. You must be hungry" Hiccup said. He took the gleaming, silver fish out of the bag and put it on the ground, and then produced his wand from the pocket it had rested in. He pointed it towards the fish lying on the ground.

"Geminio" he quietly said, and the fish began to duplicate. Toothless couldn't survive on just one fish a day and he didn't want to drag a huge basket of fish all the way out here every day, so this was the easiest solution. Toothless watched hungrily, licking his snout, his pupils dilating a little, as the fish kept on duplicating. He was obviously eager to get some breakfast. When there was about 30 fish lying on the grass, Hiccup stopped the duplication with a flick of his wand. The scales of the large pile of fish gleamed in the sunlight, almost making it appear like a bundle of silver.

"There you go bud, dig in" he encouraged the black dragon, and Toothless didn't need to hear that twice. He stuck his whole face in the pile of fish and began eating, a blissful smile curving his mouth each time he looked up from his meal. Hiccup chuckled. He watched Toothless eat, and for a while the dragons slurping and chewing were the only sounds reaching his ears.

When his friend was done eating, the dragon came closer once again, and began nudging the teen's arms. Hiccup knew his dragon well, and didn't have to think twice about the hint. He started rubbing Toothless on the top of his head, and scratched him underneath his chin. The dragon was obviously happy about this, making low purring noises, lowering his ear plates and half-closed eyes at his humans gentle touch. When Hiccup stopped the interaction after a few minutes, Toothless huffed slightly, making his discontentment very clear. Hiccup chuckled at the offended Night Fury.

"Come on, Toothless. We can't stand around here all day, we have to go fly before everyone wakes up", he explained calmly.

At the mention of flying, Toothless instantly forgot his dissatisfaction, and bounded around Hiccup excitedly, his green eyes wide with joy, and eager barking sounds escaping his mouth. Hiccup smiled at his friend's eagerness to fly with him, and as soon as the Night Fury stopped its eager movements, he began inspecting their gear, making sure that everything was in order. A strap that was too loose or too tight could affect their mobility and speed, while straps or buckles that were worn down were a major safety risk, as they could snap and throw Hiccup out of the saddle or affect his ability to control the tailfin. For that reason he always took his time before they went flying, making sure that their gear was always put on just right, as well as repairing or replacing anything that looked slightly worn. Flying was dangerous in itself, and there was no reason to take stupid risks with the gear to add to that danger. It wasn't just his life on the line if something went wrong, but Toothless' as well, and Hiccup could never forgive himself if something happened to Toothless, because he had been too busy or distracted to check the gear properly. When he had looked over the gear twice and was content with it, he nodded slowly to himself in approval. Toothless knew him too well and recognized this as the end of his evaluation of the gear. The Night Fury lowered his black, scaly body closer to the ground to allow Hiccup easy access to the saddle. He mounted Toothless in a few effortless movements and rotated the cuff on the top of his prosthetic, releasing a new attachment, while retracting the one he used for walking. He needed this one for controlling Toothless' tailfin, so he slid the latch of his prosthetic onto the metal bar on the dragons side connected to the tailfin, locking it into position.

"Okay, bud. Let's go!" he said enthusiastically. As usual he couldn't wait to feel the freedom of the skies, where he truly felt at home.

Toothless didn't need to hear that twice, and he shot up in the air vertically, the speed causing that familiar surge of adrenaline that Hiccup had come to love and crave. They climbed higher and higher into the sky, reaching the blanket of clouds above them. The Night Fury quickly leveled out, gliding gently through them. Hiccup never got tired of flying, especially in the morning, when the sun bathed everything in its mild, soft light. It was peaceful and soothed his often troubled mind.

Even though he had flown countless times in his life, that feeling of pure awe and excitement that came with riding Toothless never disappeared. Sometimes he still couldn't believe how lucky he was, having formed this kind of bond with the Night Fury. He leaned forward in the saddle and began scratching Toothless' head. The dragon let out a content sigh and continued to fly slowly and gently above the blanket of clouds.

"Want to practice some drills?" Hiccup asked, and Toothless roared happily in reply. He chuckled. He was content with the dragon's response, as he wanted to practice too. He hadn't expected the dragon to say no though. He never did.

"Okay, Toothless. Straight dive!" he exclaimed and the dragon quickly obliged by folding his wings in, and letting them drop head first straight through the air, while Hiccup folded in the tailfin with a swift click of his prosthetic. Hiccup leaned forwards in the saddle, holding his body as close to Toothless as possible to make them more aerodynamic, and they gained more and more speed, shooting through the sky like a bullet. Hiccup felt the adrenaline course through his veins, making all his senses hyper-aware of everything around him and he couldn't stop himself from letting out an unrestrained cry of pure happiness. There was no feeling like this in the world. A massive lake came into view on the ground below, and the blue body of water came closer and closer until Hiccup unfolded the left tailfin with an effortless slide and click of his artificial limb and Toothless spread out his massive black wings, causing them to level out and fly gently just above the water. Hiccup could feel the slight spray of water on his face from Toothless' claws gliding along the lakes surface as they flew. It was a refreshing feeling against his skin and only added to his current joy.

"Okay, bud let's go a little higher" Hiccup said encouragingly, while shifting the position of the tailfin. The dragon and his rider soared higher above the water mass, the lake becoming smaller and smaller again. They flew peacefully just underneath the stretch of soft white clouds for a little while, before Hiccup had another suggestion.

"Okay Toothless, let's do a split dive!" Hiccup yelled to his dragon, who grumbled in return. Hiccup knew that Toothless wasn't too fond of practicing this particular exercise, as it required him jumping off the dragon, but they had done it many times through the years. It was still important to practice though. It was probably their most dangerous drill, and the Night Fury was so protective of him, that he obviously didn't like taking risks with Hiccups safety. He knew though, that his dragon could be convinced.

"Aww, come on Toothless, we need to practice it" Hiccup said trying to persuade his friend. Toothless let out a slight huff but then nodded to his rider.

"That's the spirit, bud. Don't worry, nothing bad will happen" he said soothingly and rubbed the top of Toothless' head a few times. He knew that Toothless was just worried about him, which he appreciated. After all, he was just as protective of the dragon, as Toothless was of him.

He clicked off the harness that kept him attached to the saddle and pulled the lever that adjusted Toothless' tailfin, so he could fly without needing Hiccup to operate it. He was very satisfied that the contraption worked so well, even if Toothless didn't really like flying without him. It was necessary though for drills like this, and you never knew when it would suddenly come in handy in a serious situation. For this next drill Hiccup needed to unfold his wing suit before he let himself drop, so he snapped the two hoops on each side of his feet and his prosthetic and pulled out the homemade wingspan up towards his hands. As it needed to line up against his side to function properly as wings, he put the two metal hoops around his wrists, keeping the leathery wings in place between his lower legs and his wrists.

"Ready, Toothless?" he asked, and the dragon warbled his answer. Hiccup then leaned to the right and let himself drop from Toothless' back, his arms down by his side and his legs together.

He fell through the air at massive speed, the raging wind resistance against his face and body causing a deafening noise in his ears and an almost hot sensation against the little pieces of exposed skin despite its chill. Another massive shot of adrenaline traveled through his body and the pure thrill caused every nerve in his body to feel like it was going to burst with excitement. Toothless quickly caught up with his rider, both falling head first next to each other. The Night Fury looked at the Viking boy to make sure that he was all right, and Hiccup let out a shout of bubbly excitement to let his dragon understand that everything was fine. Toothless gave him a huge toothless' grin and Hiccup gently reached out and closed the distance between them, as he touched the dragons snout, while they were both still dropping straight through the sky. He then let his arm drop to his side once again and waited a few seconds before deciding it was time.

He spread his arms out wide, letting the air travel underneath and over his homemade leather wingspan, and let the homemade dorsal fin on his back stand up with a simple click on the unfolding switch on his armor. He leveled out and flew through the air horizontally, seizing the vertical fall instantly. Toothless quickly appeared by his side, both now flying next to each other, and the dragon let out a small fireball and roared happily at their successful drill. Hiccup laughed heartily, as he enjoyed the pure freedom of the skies and the company of his best friend. He observed the view of the snow-topped mountains below him, and felt a tug of gratefulness that he got to experience things like this. No matter what troubles he had weighing down on him, the freedom of flying always managed to soothe them, lifting his spirits and made his heart feel lighter. Toothless slowly began maneuvering himself underneath Hiccup, flying straight under him now, and Hiccup put his arms down by his side, unfolding his homemade wingspan, causing him to lose altitude and gently land on Toothless' back once again.

"Yeah! That was awesome!" he shouted, throwing both of his hands in the air triumphantly. The adrenaline still made his stomach flutter with excitement, as he clicked his prosthetic into position once more. He leaned forwards in the saddle and petted his best friend on the side of his black, scaly head. This was the life. He could happily do this every day for an eternity. He would never tire of the adrenaline rush, the wind on his face, touching the elusive clouds, watching the earth disappear beneath him, feeling the comfort and love of his best friend as they acted as one. With all the uncertainties of life, Hiccup did know one thing for sure. He was a dragon rider in his heart and he always would be. The sky and Toothless was his true home.

~~~~~ Hiccup ~~~~

Hiccups sneaking back and forth to the castle in the early morning and late night had its price. He didn't get nearly as much sleep as he wanted to, especially on the nights where he got so caught up in flying that he forgot all about keeping track of time. This mornings' flight with Toothless had been great and just what he needed, but now the strain of having a late night flight the night before and getting up early today caught up with him. He let out a massive yawn, covering his mouth with his hand, while reaching out for a pitcher of pumpkin juice at the Ravenclaw table.

Fishlegs and Rapunzel both chuckled in response, their eyes gleaming with amusement at his lack of energy. They both looked too well-rested in his opinion.

"Late night yesterday"? the blonde Viking boy gently asked him, making sure to ask about his wellbeing, without revealing anything about the reason he was out in the first place. Just in case anyone else was listening in on their conversation. Fishlegs and Rapunzel both knew about Toothless, but others didn't, so they always kept their questions vague enough so no one would suspect, while the three of them knew exactly what was asked. Hiccup truly appreciated that he could trust his two friends that much. Not everyone would be able to keep such a big secret to themselves.

"Yeah…and early morning today" he replied tiredly, smacking his face down on the table with a loud thump, causing his two friends to chuckle heartily. In some strange way, the lack of light caused by his face being planted on the sturdy, dark wooden table was a little comforting in his tired state.

"Well don't be too tired, we have art class soon, and we're working together on that painting, remember?" Rapunzel reminded him happily and sounded way too energetic at this time in the morning. Hiccup was not a morning person, and especially not when he had to balance his time between classes, homework, friends and Toothless. There just weren't enough hours in a day he thought to himself.

"What painting?" Fishlegs asked curiously. He hadn't heard of the assignment yet, as he didn't take art class. While Hiccup and Rapunzel were both artistic and enjoyed expressing that side of themselves, Fishlegs didn't have much talent in that department. He enjoyed seeing his friends' sketches and paintings though, and he was always willing to deliver some feedback on a piece of artwork.

"We're working in pairs today and for the next couple of classes, where we have to do a painting together!" Rapunzel stated. "It's going to be great!" she added in that bubbly voice of hers, that threatened to drown everyone around her in kittens and sunshine. Hiccup often found that if he was in a bad mood, he just needed to talk to Rapunzel. Her upbeat and caring personality was usually enough to lift him out of whatever darkness he was in.

Hiccup lifted his face from the table again, the sturdy feel of the massive wooden table on his skin disappearing and the light of the Great Hall once again reaching his tired eyes, causing him to squint slightly. "I promise to try not to fall asleep" he said sleepily, earning him a very unconvinced look from Rapunzel, who had furrowed her brow and narrowed her green eyes a little.

"Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III, you're going to go to that art class with me, be your usual sarcastic self and we're going to make the best painting in the whole class" she said, trying her best to sound stern and demanding but failing miserably, as she couldn't hold back a warm, friendly smile and that optimistic tone in her voice.

Hiccup groaned at the use of his full name, but then chuckled at her attempt to reprimand him. Rapunzel was such a close friend that she could get away with trying to act like a mother sometimes. She really should stop using his full name though, he really didn't like hearing it. Fishlegs was giving them an amused look from across the table.

"Fine, I'll be a good submissive Viking and obey you" Hiccup said in mock defeat and rolled his eyes. Rapunzel gave him a bright smile in response.

"Good, you obviously know what's good for you" she replied, while grabbing another piece of toast from a tray nearby and placing it on her plate.

Hiccup scoffed. "Right…following the orders of the personification of rainbows and butterflies. What has my life become?" he asked sarcastically and scratched the back of his head.

"Oh you drama queen" Rapunzel retorted, while doing a dismissive wave with one of her hands. "Besides…I'm not _that _sweet and innocent" she finished, while taking a bite of her toast.

"Yes, you are" Hiccup and Fishlegs said in unison. It was great that he could always count on Fishlegs to back him up in crucial conversational moments like this. Rapunzel should _not_ get away with an obvious untrue statement like that. The girl with the impossibly long blonde hair was the definition of sweet and innocent. She was so open, accepting and caring towards others that it almost seemed unrealistic, and she was also usually oblivious to people's potentially murky intentions. She thought the best about people and while that was admirable, Hiccup didn't share that character trait, having been exposed to his fair share of verbal and physical abuse through the years. Sure, people could be great, but everyone had a dark side, and some people didn't even hesitate to let it out. You shouldn't let your guard down for just anyone.

Rapunzel sighed in defeat. "Okay fine, maybe I am, but I still know what's good for you" she said sternly, holding up a pointed finger as if lecturing a small child.

Hiccup scoffed once again, and was about to retort, when he spotted two familiar heads of hair, one spiky and white, one curly and red. Jack and Merida were approaching the three Ravenclaws, walking casually past the Ravenclaw table, obviously on their way to the Gryffindor table and their friends.

"Hey, Hiccup" Jack greeted him, giving him a small wave and his pale face lit up in a bright grin as he walked by with Merida by his side.

"Hi Jack" Hiccup replied, giving him a small smile in return. He watched the two Gryffindors sit down at their own table and start to talk eagerly with Flynn Rider and Mavis Dracula. Jack was part of a very popular crowd, as he and his friends were well-known among practically every student at the school. His red-haired friend Merida DunBroch was an athletic and effective beater on the Gryffindor Quidditch team, Flynn Rider was a good-looking womanizer who made all the girls near him sigh in adoration, and Mavis Dracula was an artistic and academically capable girl who seemed to have time and energy to help any Gryffindors who were struggling with their homework. Hiccup knew that she also hung out with Astrid once in a while. Jack himself was almost as popular as his friend Flynn with the girls. He remembered having overheard several female students talking about Jack throughout the years, especially about his good looks and his carefree spirit with adoration in their eyes.

"Since when are you two on a first name basis?" Fishlegs asked curiously, his gleaming, observant blue eyes telling Hiccup that the other Viking boy was already trying to analyze this short encounter. While he loved and admired Fishlegs' uncanny ability to understand the motivations of other peoples' interactions, he really should give it a rest just once in a while. He didn't feel like having his every move and word dissected right now.

"Well, I sort of ran into him last night at the library, and we talked a bit" Hiccup explained, gesturing with his hands to underline his words. He wasn't sure if the encounter would seem strange to his friends…or to anyone…It probably would he decided. After all, he wasn't usually the social type except with his close friends, and when he did exchange words with other students, it was usually during class or a few quick words of greeting to other familiar Ravenclaws when he passed them in the corridors.

Fishlegs lips quirked upwards into a confident smile. Damn it, Hiccup thought in equal amounts of frustration and amusement. Now the other Viking was going to make some kind of observation that made even the most innocent interactions seem suspect. He just knew it.

"Hiccup willingly associating with popular Gryffindor boys? That's a bit…out of the ordinary" Fishlegs mused out loud, while twiddling his thumbs.

Aaaand…there it was. Why couldn't he just be a little less observant once in a while? Yes, his encounter with Jack had been very unusual, but they'd just talked a little and joked around. No big deal. It wasn't like they'd suddenly become friends or anything.

Hiccup shrugged, trying to brush off Fishlegs' questioning musings.

"He seemed nice and he didn't ask me anything about dragons, so that was a pleasant change from all the people, who have suddenly decided that I'm interesting" he explained to his two friends.

Fishlegs and Rapunzel watched him with empathy evident in their knowing eyes. They knew he didn't like all the attention. He had already shared his frustrations several times about strangers approaching him and wanting something from him, whether it was information about dragons or a date. He was grateful that he had Fishlegs and Rapunzel to support him through all of this. If he didn't have any friends, like the first 11 years of his life, it would have been even more difficult to handle the emotional damage. Most people probably wouldn't be able to comprehend just how uncomfortable Hiccup was with this kind of attention, but Fishlegs and Rapunzel knew his background, knew his insecurities, knew his demons. They were aware of how his ego was still massively bruised from all the years of being an outcast, and they were mindful of how that had also made him slightly suspicious to certain people's intentions.

"Well that's something…" Fishlegs said, sounding optimistic. "Just watch out for his pranks" he continued, chuckling a bit afterwards. "Remember that time, when he'd put a Cornish pixie in Professor Bunnymunds desk?…I think he had detention for like four weeks".

"Yeah, that pixie was not happy" Hiccup chuckled. "It wanted blood". He remembered it vividly, and even though he had felt slightly sorry for Professor Bunnymund as he struggled to get the little angry creature off him, its small blue face completely contorted in a fit of pure rage, he had still had to use all of his self-control to not break down laughing. He was _not_ going to get detention because of Jacks stupid prank.

"I've never seen Professor Bunnymund actually scared, but that time definitely came close" Rapunzel chimed in, her eyes bright with memories of the comic situation. Hiccup and Fishlegs nodded in agreement, all smiling at the memory. He had to hand it to Jack. The guy really knew how to entertain his fellow students.

"By the way, you forgot to take your sketchbook with you, when you went to bed, so I picked it up on my way out to sketching" Hiccup explained, using the codename they had invented for Hiccups time with Toothless. They had decided on calling it 'sketching', since it was too suspect to refer to Toothless as a 'friend', since Hiccup didn't have many friends, and they couldn't think of anything else that required him to go outside on his own on a regular basis. The code word served them well though, as no one had seemed to question it. He reached into his bag and pulled out the square, purple sketchbook and handed it to his golden-haired friend, who took it in appreciation.

"Thanks, Hiccup. I'd wondered where I left it." She said, flipping the book open to a sketch Hiccup hadn't seen before. He leaned over, looked at the drawing and shook his head. He probably loved his friend even more now, if that was possible.

"Pascal…waterskiing. Seriously?" he asked her amused and Fishlegs chuckled, leaning over the table from the seat across from them to get a better look at the drawing. Rapunzel really did have the strangest ideas sometimes, especially for her sketches, but Hiccup just found it endearing. It also provided endless amusement for him and Fishlegs, as they often chose to question her choice of motifs.

"What's wrong with that?" she asked with a questioning look in her big green eyes, seeming genuinely confused.

"There just seems to be a bit of a pattern developing over the last six years…you know, the same themes…Pascal, Pascal and Pascal" Hiccup deadpanned, causing Fishlegs lips to quirk upwards.

"Says the person who's sketchbook is full of dragons" she retorted triumphantly and crossed her arms in victory, giving him a self-satisfied smirk.

Damn it. She had him there. Well, he also drew other things, but it was true that most of his sketches and drawings were of the winged reptiles that had become such an important part of his life.

"Touché" Hiccup admitted. "But at least they're not baking cookies or going to the zoo in my sketches".

"They should be!" Rapunzel insisted, sudden excitement evident in her large green eyes and a bright grin on her face. "That would be some great sketches!"

Hiccup and Fishlegs both laughed genuinely at their bubbly friend. Her mood swings were another quirk that Hiccup loved about her. She could turn from serious to overly excited in less than a second. It was really quite fascinating to watch sometimes, as he himself didn't have that ability and sometimes struggled to understand how it was even possible to change mental states so quickly. But Rapunzel was living proof that it was.

"Well…I guess I should get going." Fishlegs said suddenly sounding deflated and slowly picked up his bag and swung it over his shoulder. "I have Ancient Runes in ten minutes".

Hiccup understood why his friends face fell and he immediately felt frustrated. He decided to hide it for Fishlegs' sake though. "Right…with McGowan?". Fishlegs nodded.

"Don't worry Fishlegs, just ignore him. He's a stupid bully, but he won't hurt you" Hiccup said, trying his best to sound reassuring. He honestly didn't think that McGowan would try anything, because first of all Fishlegs was freakishly strong despite of his sensitive nature, and second of all the risk of getting expelled was too great. But one could never be completely sure with bullies. Bullying was a primitive action, a remnant of a survival skill that meant to keep individuals who were different from affecting the health of the species. In these days it had no place however, and Hiccup was always frustrated by bullies. They inflated their own ego by stomping on others', often leaving people permanently damaged. He knew better than most what cruel words and violent actions could do to someone's self-esteem. He didn't believe that McGowan or anyone else would attack Fishlegs, but they usually weren't the brainiest, so who could be completely sure what kind of risk strategies they thought of?

"Right…" Fishlegs said calmly, sounding like he was now trying to reassure himself. "Right". He then turned around and walked in the direction of the classroom. Hiccup felt a pang of annoyance. It wasn't right that Fishlegs had to be nervous to go to class, just because McGowan didn't have the brains to succeed in class by himself. He wished that he could go with Fishlegs to keep an eye on him, but that wasn't possible. He had his own class to get to, and even if he didn't, they wouldn't allow him to stay in a class where he didn't belong. He sighed. There was no way for him to protect Fishlegs right now. He would have to resign to that, even though he didn't like it one bit.

He heard Rapunzel sigh deeply next to him. "I really don't like it, when people pick on you guys" she said sadly. Hiccup knew that it affected Rapunzel a lot, when people said bad things - either to him and Fishlegs or behind their backs, or when they were shoved into walls or bothered doing class, refusing to be pressured into helping unintelligent jerks. The incident with McGowan in Potions had been the first case of any of that in a long time though, and it had been years since Hiccup had last been shoved into a wall.

"I know…but it almost never happens anymore" he said gently, turning slightly to face Rapunzel. People had basically forgotten them and now Hiccup was too popular to be bothered by people…except by certain types like McGowan.

"But still…Fishlegs shouldn't have to worry about going to a class, just because some mean brute is there" she spat. It was very unusual for Rapunzel to sound aggressive, but if there was one thing that could make the joyful blondes blood boil, it was when someone hurt the people she loved. Hiccup felt frustrated himself right now as well, but decided that it was better to try and reassure her. He didn't want her to worry too much.

"I know I know, but he'll be all right, okay? The worst they can do is make some stupid comments, and Fishlegs is pretty good at just shaking those of" he replied, giving Rapunzel a friendly smile. "They won't risk beating someone up and getting expelled for it".

"Except for those times when they beat you up" she stated matter-of-factly and Hiccup was surprised that she brought it up. She didn't like talking about those times. Once Hiccup had been healed back then, the three friends never spoke of it again. Well, Fishlegs and him had talked about it a few times over the years, but only when Rapunzel wasn't present. It had been very difficult for her to see him like that, and he didn't want to cause her any more distress.

"Yeah, but that was a long time ago. I was short and scrawny and I pissed them off with my amazingly clever wit" Hiccup said confidently, trying to joke a bit about it. He wasn't damaged by the brutal encounters in any way, even though it had been really unpleasant. "Fishlegs keeps to himself and doesn't make sarcastic comments, so he'll be fine. Besides, those times also happened somewhere no one could find us, and Fishlegs never walks anywhere secluded alone, so really…Don't worry about it" he said, giving her a gently squeeze on the shoulder. He was hoping that his words were getting through to her. He wanted to see that familiar bright smile return to her face.

She smiled fondly at him and gave his shoulder a little squeeze. "Thanks Hiccup. I feel better now. And hey, I know you don't like your new popularity, but maybe it'll make people see Fishlegs in a different light too".

"Maybe" he replied, even though he seriously doubted it. It would be nice though, if people could see all of Fishlegs' great qualities. The boy was seriously underrated. He was very intelligent, funny, and he cared deeply about his friends. He hated conflict, so he always tried to get people to get along, putting the role of the mediator on himself. He was very observant, better at reading other people's tiny changes in body language and tone than most, but he kept his deepest observations to himself or waited to talk about it till he was alone with the person. Fishlegs was a great friend with a lot of positive qualities. It was too bad that some people couldn't see that.

"Well, it's time to go now. We don't want to be late" Rapunzel reminded him, as she took one last sip of her mug of tea, and left her seat to grab her bag. He quickly did the same, and then they exited the Great Hall and began the short journey towards the art room through the old stone corridors brimming with busy students on their way to classes.

Art class had been quite successful, seeing that Hiccup actually managed to stay awake, and he and Rapunzel began working on their painting, after having showed their works from the last class to the teacher, and hanging it up on the wall alongside everyone else's drawings. When they'd begun painting, they had hit some bumps in the road, as they disagreed on the motif. They had quickly come to the conclusion that the painting should contain dragons, because of his and Hiccups connection to them and Fishlegs' longing for Meatlug. They both knew that the blonde Viking boy missed his dragon friend a lot, but unfortunately headmaster Lunar was not interested in having more dragons on the grounds. After they had agreed on painting something with dragons though, they disagreed on the lack of funny everyday situations. Rapunzel wanted a painting of Fishlegs and Meatlug eating popcorn and watching a movie or rollerblading, since normal portraits were "too boring", so Hiccup had to talk her out of it, using his sharp logic and reasoning. They had resolved their little conflict with a compromise that they could both accept, and they were going to give Fishlegs the painting when it was done, as he's birthday was coming up in a few weeks.

The heavy, blonde boy had joined them shortly outside the art room, after class was finished. Luckily, he hadn't been bothered by McGowan or anyone else in Ancient Runes, and both Rapunzel and Hiccup were relieved and happy to hear that. Hiccup had been a bit worried, although he didn't want to admit it to Rapunzel, since he wanted to cheer her up, and also because, logically there was a very small risk that anything would happen, based on the reasons Hiccup had listed to the golden-haired girl earlier. However, bullying wasn't logical, so that tiny bit of doubt that had lingered inside him, had made him worry slightly. Hiccup really didn't like McGowan. He was a classic brute, always putting others down to feel better about himself, and that also made him slightly unpredictable. Fishlegs didn't need or deserve being exposed to that. After their quick talk, the three Ravenclaws split up, Rapunzel and Fishlegs heading towards their Magical History class, and Hiccup towards his Defense against the Dark Arts class.

~~~~ Jack ~~~~

When the three Gryffindors entered the large classroom (Mavis had Magical History), there were three seats available next to the brunet Viking boy. They didn't usually sit with Hiccup in any classes, but now that Jack and Hiccup were on a first name basis, it made perfect sense to slump down in the seat next to the Ravenclaw, who immediately turned his head and looked at him with those seemingly friendly forest-green eyes that were also slightly guarded at the same time. The brunet gave him a crooked smile and a quick "good morning", while Merida and Flynn sat down next to Jack.

"Mornin', Hic" Jack said optimistically and with a warm smile, feeling less tired now.

Hiccup raised an eyebrow. "Hic?" he asked incredulously. Jack grinned in response. The brown-haired teen next to him had a certain way with tone of voice and facial expressions that could convey a myriad of different amusing feelings.

"Yeah, I decided that you should have a nickname" he beamed as if this was the greatest thing to ever happen to the Viking boy. Which it was of course.

"Oh joy" the other teen deadpanned. "Aren't I the lucky one?" he asked rhetorically and Jack smirked in amusement at Hiccups trademark sarcasm. That little jerk and his sharp retorts.

"You sure are. Not everyone gets bestowed their very own nickname by me. You're in an exclusive club now" Jack joked, although there was an element of truth in it. He was friendly and outgoing, knew a lot of people at the school and made sure to maintain those acquaintances regularly, but he wasn't the type to give anyone a nickname. That was usually reserved for his friends. Except in this case. He and Hiccup weren't friends, but he had just felt like giving the boy a nickname for some reason. And Jack usually just did whatever his gut told him.

"Yeah, make sure to get out as quickly as possible" Merida interjected making Hiccup chuckle genuinely. Jack was glad to see that the two of them got along, but they'd better not make it a habit to both shoot him down…Oh, who was he kidding? He would love that, it was too amusing to pass up. It gave him a chance to get back at them with some clever comments of his own. For now however, he decided that the best strategy would be to gain some pity.

"Awww…That was low, DunBroch" he whined, closing his eyes for a few seconds to seem hurt.

"I'm just saying that it's too late for the rest of us, but Haddock can still be saved" the red-head joked, earning her a scowl from Jack and an appreciative smile from Hiccup. Damn that crumb-spitting Scotsman, she wasn't going to win this round.

Jack huffed. "No he can't. I'll make sure of that" he said sounding threatening and narrowing his eyes at Hiccup, who sighed dramatically and put his face in his hands for a few seconds.

"The gods are cruel…" Hiccup groaned, removing his face from their resting place. His green eyes were gleaming with mirth though.

"Gods?" Flynn suddenly asked confused, deciding to take part in their conversation.

"The norse gods…Thor, Odin, Loki, all of those guys" Jack explained to his friend while gesturing with his hands, as he listed some of the gods. Flynn nodded in understanding.

"Not every day you meet someone who believes in that sort of thing" Flynn remarked, but smiling friendly at Hiccup, so the boy didn't think that he was somehow insulting him.

Hiccup just shrugged, which Jack found curious. The gesture seemed very…non-committed for someone like Hiccup, who gave the impression of always being very dedicated to whatever he was doing. He was a model student who got good grades in all his classes, he was committed to his two best friends, the three of them practically being glued to each other's side, he was often seen sketching and drawing in that worn notebook of his, so it appeared that he was dedicated to that hobby of his as well. So why was he just shrugging off his connection to his religion?

Hiccup then interrupted Jacks thoughts, as he suddenly let out a huge yawn, covering his mouth with his hand.

"My my, are we tired today, Haddock?" Flynn asked in a teasing tone and waggled his eyebrows, causing Hiccup to blush a little, a faint rosy tint appearing on his smooth skin. Jack chuckled. That boy had serious troubles with being comfortable in his own body. Jack briefly wondered what had happened to Hiccup in his life, for him to be so…lacking in confidence. Except for the bullying once in a while of course, but it had to be more than that. For now though, they didn't know each other well enough for Hiccup to trust him with something like that. After all, Jack wasn't about to spill his secrets either. He found the blush on Hiccups face very amusing though.

"Yeah…had a late night" the Viking admitted and rubbed the back of his head, and Jacks interest immediately heightened.

"Ooh, what's her name?" Merida chimed in, grinning teasingly, causing Flynn to flash Hiccup a bright grin as well.

"Not that kind of late night" Hiccup revealed, smiling tiredly. Jack had thought as much, but it was somehow nice to hear the other teen confirm it. He was obviously very uncomfortable with his newfound fame at the school, and he seemed like the type of person, who would be paranoid enough to not want to interact with any girls for a while because of that. Not that he had done so before, as far as Jack knew. But on the other hand, he really didn't know Hiccup very well, so he shouldn't assume too much.

Jack lowered his voice, so Flynn and Merida wouldn't hear him. "Trouble sleeping?" he asked genuinely. He felt a slight tug of concern towards the brunet sitting next to him. After all, it was obvious that Hiccup didn't have it easy dealing with all his new fame, so maybe it had affected his sleep, and he knew how difficult that could be. Despite Jacks own love of sleep, it hadn't always come as easy to him as it did these days. He had spent his fair share of sleepless nights worrying about his sister, feeling the familiar knot of guilt form in his gut at the thought of his parents, and questioning his direction in life…or perhaps, lack of direction was a better phrasing for it. However, he had managed to push through all of that. He didn't want to spend his life with worries and grief-provoked insomnia. He wanted to have fun and enjoy life, savor the time he had with his friends, the time he had at this magical place that had become like a second home.

"No" Hiccup shook his head slowly and gave him a small smile. "I just stayed up too late. I'm not good at keeping track of time" he explained, looking down at his textbook that was resting on the table in front of him, as if he was somehow blaming it for his current predicament.

"Except when you have to get to class" he corrected the Viking. The brunet was never late, apparently prioritizing school above a few moments extra fun like a true Ravenclaw.

"Well…" Hiccup replied in a monotone voice. "That's a bit more important".

Jack frowned immediately, not even aware of it at first. Had Hiccup really just said that?

He looked at the other boy in disbelief. "Class…more important than sleep? What's wrong with you, Hic?" he asked jokingly with a smirk. Sleep was way more important than classes, everyone knew that. Even Ravenclaws had to admit that they couldn't keep up their perpetual obsessive-compulsive quest of gathering knowledge, if their bodies protested too much from lack of rest.

"I wouldn't even know where to start with that one" Hiccup deadpanned, giving him a friendly smile and meeting his eyes for a few moments before training them on the textbook once again. Underneath the humor of his statement, Jack definitely sensed some kind of truth in Hiccups words. This boy seriously needed more confidence. But why was that? He was a dragon tamer for crying out loud! It was strange and Jack found himself frowning. He quickly dismissed it though.

"You're right, you're a bit of a trainwreck" Jack agreed teasingly and smirked. He decided that the best course of action was to cheer Hiccup up, making him forget about whatever worries he had at the moment. And if there was one thing Jack was good it, it was bringing smiles and laughter to other people.

"Don't you have some snowballs to make, icicle?" Hiccup asked sarcastically, while the faint ghost of a smile appeared on his lips, tugging the corners upwards ever so slightly. Jack felt relieved that the other boy's fighting spirit was back as quickly as it had left.

"Nope, not right now. I'm spending some quality time with a Viking, you know" Jack grinned giving Hiccup a pat on the back, causing the other boy to look at him with surprised but amused green eyes. Somehow the brief and gentle touch nestled on his fingertips for a while.

"Really? A Viking? They're pretty cool" Hiccup said with mock intrigue, while raising his eyebrows a little in a questioning manner and a faint smile on his lips.

"Eh, they're all right. A bit dumb if you ask me, but hey" Jack replied with as much sass as he could muster. He really wanted to push the other boy's buttons now and prolong the banter.

"Whoa whoa whoa" Hiccup objected while gesturing wildly with his hands, causing Jack to smile as his sass had obviously worked. He heard Flynn and Merida chuckle at the Ravenclaw's obvious protest. "Vikings are _not _dumb".

"Really?...Well, granted I don't know many of them…but the one I recently met is definitely not the brightest Lumos in the room"

"What?!" Hiccup exclaimed in a high-pitched voice of what appeared to be equal amounts of disbelief and amusement. Jack snickered at the other boy's slightly unmanly exclamation. It was incredibly amusing to rile the Ravenclaw up like this.

"Watch those comments, Snowflake. If you unleash the wrath of a Viking, there will be consequences!" Hiccup finished, one fist raised in a pretend threat.

"Pssh, as if you could possibly hurt me. I'm way too powerful and good-looking to succumb to a mere _Viking_" Jack shot back, rolling his blue eyes and emphasizing the last word to make it appear condescending and dismissive, as if the idea of being beat by a Viking was truly ridiculous and absurd. He was baiting the other boy right now.

"Oh really? Because I seem to remember a class last year, where you got your ass kicked by this very Viking with some perfectly executed stunning spells" Hiccup said triumphantly, green orbs shining with mirth and a certain self-satisfaction, as he crossed his arms.

Crap. He was hoping Hiccup wouldn't bring that up. That totally ruined the air of superiority that he had going for him right now…He needed to consider his next move carefully. Humiliating ammunition had been brought out now…and when that happened in the heat of a banter-battle, there was only one move that could challenge it: Denial.

"I was obviously just handing you a small victory. You looked like you could use it" he explained, keeping the pretentious and smug façade in place.

Jack heard Merida and Flynn snicker, and he could imagine them rolling their eyes at his arrogant teasing. They were used to it by now though. Hiccup wasn't, but Jack was absolutely sure he would get it. After all, sarcasm and sharp witty comments was pretty much the brunet's specialty.

Hiccup snorted. "Right…Because I'm such a useless student that I need people to give me pity-victories"

"Well, I wasn't going to say it, but now that you brought it up yourself…But don't worry, I'll take you under my wing, teach you all the wisdom and experience I've obtained throughout my many years on this earth. You can be my lowly apprentice" Jack declared in an optimistic and reassuring tone that underlined just how good an offer this was to a mere Viking such as Hiccup.

Hiccup didn't have time to retort though, as Merida interfered.

"Run…Run…" Merida then whispered in mock fear to Hiccup, who grinned widely, while Jack nudged his shoulders against Merida's in protest. She was interfering with his goddamn air of superiority, that bloody Scotsman, he thought to himself and chuckled on the inside.

At that moment Professor Bunnymund entered the classroom with the usual authority and calm practically emanating from him. The students instantly went silent, all chatter extinguishing itself at once, as they noticed their professor's arrival. If there was one professor in the magical school, who could command respect and discipline from the students, it was the tall, muscular Australian Defense against the Dark Arts professor. Professor Bunnymund walked slowly and confidently towards the desk at the end of the room, and as he reached it, he turned around and faced the class with a stern look. Well, nothing new there Jack thought to himself.

"We're going to continue with non-verbal spells today. I hope you've been practicing. Open your books to page 56 and practice the spells listed there. You'll be paired up with someone, who you'll be dueling. At first you must take turns using the spells on each other to become familiar with them, and afterwards you will practice defending yourself from the other's attacks. No other spells than the ones on page 56 are permitted. If I see anyone using their wand for anything else, it's three weeks detention" the Professor finished, emphasizing the last three words. Ouch, Jack winced. Well, there goes his plan of distracting Flynn by firing silent stinging spells at his butt.

"Now…" he looked around the class, taking in the students. "Pair up with the person sitting next to you and feel free to begin".

Jack looked at Hiccup and smirked. The other boy kept his neutral expression in place.

"Are you ready to get your ass kicked, Viking boy?" he said in mock arrogance, narrowing his eyes slightly.

Hiccup huffed. "As if you could possibly beat all of this" he said while gesturing to himself.

They quickly left their seats, as did everyone else, and the sound of chairs scraping across the old stone floor and the rustling of bags and hushed conversation became almost overwhelming for a few minutes. As every student in the class had gotten to their feet, Professor Bunnymund stacked the chairs and tables at the end of the room with a flick of his wand, creating an open space for the students to duel each other. The Australian professor was someone who believed in a practical approach to learning, so it wasn't uncommon for his students to practice less damaging spells on each other. Despite Jack's slightly strained relationship with the professor, he definitely agreed on the practical approach.

Jack and Hiccup faced each other, making sure to leave enough room between them and Flynn and Merida, so none of them would accidentally hit each other or be thrown into someone.

"Ready?" Hiccup asked with a raised eyebrow and his usual calm demeanor, as he removed his wand from a pocket in his robes.

"I was born ready!" Jack replied confidently, clutching his wand tightly, causing Hiccup to shake his head.

Bunnymund had magically padded the hard, unforgiving stone walls with soft material that could break their falls. After all, it wouldn't do to have students break their bones. Jack was secretly grateful for that. Once, he had broken an arm in a Quidditch match against Hufflepuff, and even though he didn't consider himself a wuss, the pain had been significant and very very unpleasant. He didn't want to go through something like that again, if he could avoid it.

With a quick flick of his wand and not a single word uttered, Hiccup sent Jack hurling backwards through the air and into the wall. He felt the impact pushing the air out of his lungs, leaving him breathless, and the clash with the stone wall (although it was padded) sent a jolt of mild pain through his back. That was definitely going to leave a bruise on his pale skin.

Jack took a few seconds to collect himself and then pulled himself to his feet.

"Good work, Mr. Haddock" Jack heard Professor Bunnymunds authoritative voice say from somewhere.

He watched Hiccup smile at him in triumph, but not saying a word. Why did that damn Ravenclaw always have to be so good in every class? Oh, he was going to get it now, he smirked to himself.

"Oh, it…is…on!" Jack yelled to him, earning him an amused smile from the Viking boy. He remained silent though, challenging Jack only with his confident green eyes.

Jack quickly walked back towards the other boy. He lifted his wand and made a quick movement with his wrist, silently thinking of the spell he wanted to cast. When nothing happened he tried again. And again.

"Damn it" Jack cursed, watching Hiccups smirk transform into a bright grin that lit up his entire face. Oh great Jack thought. Just hand over another load of ammunition to the most sarcastic, quick-witted guy in school. He cast a quick glance at Merida and Flynn, who took turns slamming the other against the padded walls with a simply move of their wands.

He pulled himself together and took a few deep breaths. Then he pointed his wand at Hiccup, who did not look threatened at all. On the contrary. He flicked his wand while thinking hard on the spell, and suddenly Hiccup went flying into the wall, and was lying sprawled on the stone floor.

"Yes!" Jack shouted in triumph, holding up both of his arms, clutching his wand. Now that damn Ravenclaw had learned his lesson.

When Hiccup managed to get up and get back to his spot, he had a warm smile on his face.

"Good job Jack" he said honestly, and Jack appreciated the sincere words. Not everyone took the time to compliment each other in classes, and it wasn't that Jack needed to be reassured or anything, but it was still nice to get a few words of recognition once in a while.

"Thanks" he beamed at the other boy, whose smile increased as well. The two teenage boys just stood there for a while, grinning warmly at each other.

"Overland! Haddock! Get on with it!" Professor Bunnymunds voice sliced through the noise of students talking and bodies slamming into padded stone walls, and the two boys quickly resumed their practice. The rest of the class went flying by, as Hiccup and Jack exchanged sarcastic, condescending comments trying to psyche the other one out and winning their little competition. In the end Jack had to admit reluctantly that Hiccup had won, as he managed to defend himself from attacks more often than Jack did.

With 10 minutes left of class, Professor Bunnymund placed the tables and chairs back in their original position and told the students to take their seats once again. Hiccup, Jack, Merida and Flynn moved towards the front row, where their bags were still sitting next to the four chairs and sat down next to each other. The students were silent as the Professor spoke.

"Okay, I have a new assignment for you. Two weeks from now you have to hand in 20 pages in all on either the basilisk or the acromantula. I expect a thorough report containing the discovery of the species, characteristics, habitats, abilities and how to defend yourself from one. I'll be dividing you into pairs on this" Professor Bunnymund finished, looking sternly at the class of students.

"O'Donnell with Mutten" he began pairing them.

"Rider and Lewis". Jack could hear Flynn groan slightly. He didn't like Lewis. The boy was nice, but he was so clingy to everyone who ever spoke to him. Jack and his friends had always tried to be nice and polite towards the boy, but they didn't want someone following them around constantly, so they usually kept their distance. This wasn't possible for Flynn now though, Jack thought with a little amusement.

"DunBroch and White". Jack looked at Merida who just shrugged. She seemed okay with her partner, the short and slightly chubby girl Stephanie White. Well, it could be a lot worse Jack thought. Stephanie might be a bit strange, but at least she was quite smart.

Hofferson and Lake. Jack snorted. There was a challenge for Astrid's patience. Or should he say, lack of patience? Lake was fairly slow and lazy, not bothering to do much during classes. Either Astrid would end up ripping out her own hair in frustration or she would end up tearing him apart with her bare hands. The latter definitely seemed most likely.

"Overland and Haddock"

Jack smirked at Hiccup, who rolled his eyes but then smiled warmly. Jack was secretly quite happy to be paired up with Hiccup, as he was both intelligent and fun to be around. He had also been looking for an excuse to spend more time with the brunet Ravenclaw. Well, not that he really needed an excuse…everyone knew that he was outgoing and friendly, so there was nothing suspect about him wanting to hang out with someone, but Hiccup was obviously a private, guarded person, and Jack didn't want to be intrusive and force his company on someone, who might not want it. The Ravenclaw's sarcastic, dry humor was definitely not only used in friendly banter but also as a shield against the world, that much was clear. It was a fully developed, razor-sharp defense mechanism, and that meant that Hiccup sometimes felt the need to keep people at an arm's length. Now that they had actually found out that they amused each other, it was if something had snapped. Like a barrier that had separated them from interacting before had suddenly been crumbled to dust. Now that they needed to work on a project together however, he also had a valid excuse to hang out with the Viking boy, no matter if he was defensive or not.

Jack took out a piece of parchment from his bag, while Professor Bunnymund continued to pair up students for the assignment. He scribbled a quick message on the slightly crumbled paper with his quill.

"This is great. More quality time with my favorite Viking" Jack wrote and passed the note to Hiccup, who snorted. The boy wrote something and passed the note back, keeping an eye on the Professor, so he wouldn't notice the exchange.

Jack looked at the crinkled note.

"Do you even know any other Vikings, Snowcone?" it said and Jack smiled at the cheeky nickname.

"Only Astrid, but she doesn't count. You're still my favorite."

"Well, that's a pretty empty compliment then"

"Take it or leave it, dragon boy"

Jack observed the other boy reading the note, instantly worrying a little that he shouldn't have written that, since Hiccup seemed incredibly tense every time dragons were brought up. He didn't want to upset him or make him think that Jack was trying to use him somehow. Oh geez, when had he become so anxious all of the sudden? It was just a note, get over it Jack he chided himself. He was instantly relieved though, when Hiccup simply smiled warmly and began to write his reply on the note. Good, so he didn't mind Jacks little nickname for him.

Hiccup didn't have time to write his reply though, as Professor Bunnymund dismissed the class then. Great timing, Jack thought sarcastically. They were in the middle of some friendly banter, so of course class had the end right then and there.

He glanced at the boy next to him, who had begun to plop his textbooks back into that black leather satchel he used as a schoolbag. How come Jack had never noticed that there was a dragon emblem on it? He quickly made his own textbooks disappear into his bag, eager to finish doing that before Hiccup left to go to his next class.

Flynn and Merida had apparently finished packing their things and picking up their bags and they were standing a few feet away from the table.

"Just a minute guys" Jack said to them, motioning to Hiccup. They both nodded in understanding and walked away from the table to wait by the door.

"So..uh…Maybe we should meet up later to start working on the project then?" Jack asked Hiccup in what he was hoping was a casual and confident tone of voice. He wasn't sure why he wasn't those things all of the sudden. He was Jack Frost, he was always relaxed, easy going, outspoken…He never had trouble talking to anyone, no matter who they were. He was a true social butterfly who could adapt to anyone, if he wished to do so. Suddenly though, he felt a little awkward and he didn't like it one bit. Why on earth should he be feeling self-conscious all of the sudden? He was just asking a classmate to work on a project. There was nothing strange about that…right?

Hiccup met his gaze and smiled a crooked smile. Jack found himself looking at the guy's front teeth again, focusing on the slight gap between them.

"Sure, that would probably be a good idea. When?" the Viking boy replied with such ease that Jack immediately envied him for it. Apparently this sudden awkwardness was only affecting him. And Hiccup was supposed to be the awkward one. Great.

He focused all his energy on pulling himself back together. He needed to put up that confident and carefree front that was well-known among the other students. Not that it was actually a front, it was who he was. He had always been like that. He knew that some people seemed to think that it was a front. That he was somehow pretending to be someone he wasn't, just because he spent a lot of time on fun and games that it apparently made certain students suspicious. That was their problem though. Life was short, you had to live it. Which reminded him…life was also too short to worriedly analyze the awkwardness experienced in front of sarcastic brunets with artificial limbs.

"I'm done with classes around 4?" Jack said in a half-question, relieved that he sounded more like himself this time. He was suddenly eager to get out of this classroom.

Hiccup nodded in response, his green eyes still meeting Jacks blue ones.

"That's fine, let's meet up at 4 then. Where?"

"Hmm…I like working outside, if that's okay with you?" Jack asked and tilted his head a little. Working inside for hours became claustrophobic and gave him a headache from the suffocating warmth of the other students in the room draining it of clean fresh air, and the sounds of hushed voices and quills scraping on parchment, textbooks ruffling in and out of bags was distracting…he definitely preferred working outdoors. The fresh air kept him calm and the lack of distractions made him work more efficiently. Jack didn't want to admit it, but he was easily distracted. His friends knew this and regularly teased him that he had the attentionspan of a bird. Jack refused that though. He could concentrate when he needed to, and he did concentrate in classes and in doing homework. His concentration was just easily broken. He saw it as a mechanism his mind had built up, keeping him from missing anything interesting or fun.

"No, that's fine. I like working outside too…how about down by the lake?" Hiccup replied, shuffling his feet. Jack saw him adjust the strap of his satchel slightly, and swing it over one shoulder in an effortless move that seemed strangely graceful for an accident-prone boy with prosthetic leg. But then again, Hiccup was apparently full of surprises.

"Deal. See you at 4 by the lake" Jack concluded with a friendly smile. Maybe he and Hiccup had other things in common besides the sarcastic banter that they both seemed to really enjoy. Now that he thought about it, he should have realized that Hiccup liked the outdoors. Over the years, he'd often spotted the brunet sitting outside various places, deep in concentration, sketching or reading.

"See you" Hiccup replied with a small wave. Jack smirked and turned around, walking towards the door, where Flynn and Merida were waiting for him. Hiccup seemed to be a fan of doing those small waves as a way of saying hello and goodbye. Another one of the little quirks that Jack was beginning to notice, the more time he spent with the other teen.

"Don't you guys have to arrange some kind of studytime with your partners?" Jack asked curiously, since neither Flynn nor Merida had talked to their projectpartners yet.

Merida shrugged. "It can wait. There's plenty of time" she said, dismissing the notion of talking to her partner just yet. Not that Jack was surprised. Merida rarely did any kind of homework in good time, she often waited until the last minute actually. Not that Jack was much better – but in group projects he always wanted to finish it early. He didn't like feeling responsible for other people's grades and he didn't want to stress anyone else out, so it was only his projects with Flynn that were finished in the last minute, since they were friends and could handle being freaked out together. Besides…Flynn was just like him and Merida. Mavis was actually the only one in their little group, who was punctual and always finished her homework early. She could probably have fit in great in Ravenclaw, Jack mused.

Flynn quickly agreed with their red-haired friend. "Yeah. I'll talk to Lewis next time".

"Okay. Let's go" Jack said to his two friends and motioned them to follow him. The three of them walked in comfortable amiable silence down the old stone corridors for a while.

"Well, I'm this way" Merida interrupted the silence and pointing to the right. She had Earth Magic as an elective, as the only one in their group. She had confused the rest of them when she had chosen it, but she explained that the class taught ancient magic that stemmed from Scotland and Scandinavia. Merida had a deep connection with her Scottish heritage, and she was interested in anything that was remotely related to her home country.

"Right." Jack stated. "We'll see you at lunch".

Their curly-haired friend nodded and walked away from them in the direction of her classroom.

Jack and Flynn continued on their way to Care of Magical Creatures. Jack had always liked that subject, so it was a no brainer to choose it again this year. He had always had an affinity for animals. They were uncomplicated and fun-loving, unlike a lot of people, and that were definitely characteristics that Jack appreciated. They weren't serious or held grudges or worried about what others thought about them. Naturally they had to think about food and shelter, but besides that they managed to enjoy life a whole lot more than most humans did. He had always wanted a dog, for as long as he could remember, but his biological father had been allergic to fur, and North and Anna were not exactly on board with the idea, as they worked a lot, and back when Jack had first suggested it, he had been too young to take care of it alone. Now that he was away at Hogwarts most of the year, he supposed that it was the right decision not to get a dog. At least not yet. It would be difficult to have a close connection to an animal, if you were separated from it all the time. Magical creatures were not exactly like common animals though, as they could be very dangerous, so it was important to know the correct way of handling them. They were also fascinating though, their magical abilities to defend and attack of great interest to Jack.

Flynn was actually also very interested in the subject. Like Jack, he liked animals a lot and always had. He told Jack once that he had had a dog, when he was younger. He had been very attached to it, apparently they went everywhere together. The dog walked him to school and picked him up again, slept in his bed, let him read stories to it and played with him in their garden. Flynn had been crushed when the dog died of old age and it took him a long time to recover.

Jack clearly remembered when Flynn had told him this story. They had been alone in their dormitory, skipping dinner in the Great Hall as they were full from eating candy all day. They were both sitting on their own bed, talking and laughing, sharing stories about their lives before Hogwarts. Somehow the conversation turned to animals, and Flynn had shared the story of his beloved pet. It was their second year at Hogwarts, and it had been the first time Jack had seen the sensitive, emotional side of the confident boy. Their friendship had definitely evolved that day, and even though Jack had more experiences with Flynn's sensitive side in the years to come, he would never forget that night, when he learned that Flynn was more emotionally complicated than he liked to let on.

It had been a fairly standard class of Care of Magical Creatures. Professor Lucero had done a decent job of keeping the class not only informative but also entertaining, something that Jack greatly appreciated when Professors tried to do. He was still slightly disappointed that Professor Brown wasn't teaching the class this year, as he had always liked the big, gruff man, with the booming voice and the obvious love of animals. Professor Brown had always kept his classes fun and light, making sure that everyone learned by doing something practical and not just theoretical. Professor Lucero wasn't half bad though. He was mild mannered, patient and eager to spill out random fun facts about the creatures they were dealing with, and Jack decided that he was a decent temporary replacement for his favorite professor.

He and Flynn had had fun learning about the Chinchoo's – the small furry creatures they were dealing with in today's class that resembled some kind of rodent. They were the size of a rabbit, had soft white fur, big round black eyes, a long fluffy tail that curled upwards on their backs and big, upright, rounded ears that seemed to hear everything. They weren't just cute and cuddly though, as Flynn had found out when he decided to try and pet one of them, before learning how to approach them properly. Professor Lucero had strictly told the class to leave the animals be, until he returned a moment later, having gathered some equipment to handle the creatures. As Flynn had tried to pet one of the furry animals, the little Chinchoo had narrowed its huge eyes in suspicion and had spit green acid out of its mouth, causing a large round hole in the right sleeve of Flynns school uniform. Jack had laughed so hard at his friend's face that was completely distorted in horror and disbelief. Professor Lucero had given Flynn detention for approaching the creatures without permission and without wearing the necessary safety gear. Of course Flynn hadn't known about the last part until the professor returned with safety goggles and acid-proof suits. Jack had seen Fishlegs and Rapunzel chuckling at Flynns dramatic encounter with the animal as well, but they kept their distance from the two boys, keeping to themselves as usual.

After class Flynn had gone back to the dormitory to get some new robes on. Apparently a Chinchoo's acid had magical capabilities that made it more complicated to fix than what a simple "repairo" spell could do. They had split up, Flynn heading back for new robes and Jack walking towards the Charms classroom, as that was his and Flynn's next class, as well as Merida's and Mavis'. It was nice to have some classes that all four of them shared.

As he walked along the hallway, it was unusually quiet. It made sense though, since their Care of Magical Creatures class had ended about 10 minutes early, so Jack was making incredibly good time. Too good actually…What are you doing, Jack? He asked himself suddenly. You're not a Ravenclaw, you don't get to class 20 minutes early, when you can use that time relaxing outside. He turned around instantly, heading to one of the archways to the courtyards. He settled on top of a table outside, taking in the fresh breeze and the mild autumn sun that was warming his face with its gentle rays. He had just been outside for a whole class, but he was going to be in a double Charms class next, so he wanted to just enjoy being outside for a little while longer before being cooped out inside again. Jack sat like that on the table enjoying the outside, watching birds fly by and a few other students making their way around the grounds for about 10 minutes, before he decided to head towards class. Maybe Flynn would be there by now – having replaced his rodent-damaged uniform.

As Jack hopped down from the table and made his way inside the hallway once again, he thought about Hiccup and how he was meeting him later to work on their project. Since they were working outside, that would be two times in one day Jack got to work on his academic skills in the fresh air. That didn't happen too often, so Jack made sure to enjoy it while it lasted.

~~~~ Hiccup ~~~~

Since they had a short break of 30 minutes before their next classes, the three Ravenclaws had decided to find a table out in one of the courtyards and study a bit, as they all had homework and like true representatives of their house, they wanted to get it done early. The weather was mild, as there was only a gentle breeze rustling through the tree tops in the courtyard, and the sun was shining warmly, only a few clouds dotting the blue sky. They found an empty, large table with benches on each side, relatively secluded from the other students in the courtyard, which was nice as they wanted peace and quiet. Before actually getting started on the homework they exchanged quick updates on what had happened in their respective classes, and Fishlegs and Rapunzel told Hiccup how Flynn Rider had been attacked by an acid-spitting Chinchoo in Care of Magical Creatures, which he found incredibly amusing. As Fishlegs and Rapunzel began discussing their homework in their Magical History class, they flipped open their large textbooks and grabbed some parchment and their quills from their bags. Pascal had been sleeping in Rapunzel's bag during class, but now he was resting comfortably on her shoulder, nuzzling against her golden hair. Hiccup had become quite fond of Pascal through the years. The little chameleon was quite protective of Rapunzel, and it reminded Hiccup of Toothless, although there were obviously some differences in their ability to defend their humans. He pulled out his own textbook from his black satchel and began reading up on his homework in "Building, Managing and Reparing Magical Objects". It was a new class that had only started last year, but he already loved it. He felt quite lucky, that this subject was introduced while he was still here at the school, because it was a rare occasion that Hogwarts introduced new classes. It was definitely one of his favorites, as he could let out his inner inventor. It also didn't hurt, that he could use some of the equipment to fix his and Toothless' gear, the next time it needed a quick repair.

The peaceful studying didn't last long though, as Hiccup was suddenly hit in the back of the head with something cold and wet that slide down his hair and onto his neck, leaving a chilly, icy trail of drops in its wake. He quickly reached his hand to his neck and felt the familiar feel of…snow? In September? He jerked his head around, and saw Jack standing a short distance away with a huge bright grin on his face with DunBroch next to him, also causing Fishlegs and Rapunzel to laugh. He narrowed his eyes, as he felt the coldness of the melting snow on the back of his head. That pale bastard had actually conjured a snowball just to throw it at him?

"Great, it's Frosty the Snowman" he said sarcastically, a small smile on his lips. He _was _actually slightly happy to see Jack again, although he would stick his hand in a hungry Gronckle's mouth before admitting that to anyone.

Jack instantly narrowed his own eyes and slowly stepped towards them in a mock threatening manner. "What did you call me?".

Hiccup could tell that he was just joking though, and he decided to try and beat him at his own game. This mischievous Snowcone was _not_ going to win.

"Oh nothing, nothing….Snowflake" Hiccup replied innocently but smirking. Jacks unusual hair color was an almost endless supply of ammunition in a banter-duel. Hiccup briefly wondered if it was natural, though he doubted it. Who had natural white hair?

"Oh come on…we both know you worship me, so let's skip the whole defensive, sarcastic strategy and tear down some emotional walls shall we?" Jack said enthusiastically, gesturing wildly with his hands and giving Hiccup a teasing smirk. He then ruffled his hair, and Hiccup felt a strange warm feeling at the other boy's touch. He wasn't used to people touching him except for the people closest to him and in general he preferred to keep a certain distance, so the action really took him by surprise, and he took a few moments to register that yes, that just happened. Yes, he'd just had his personal space invaded by a mischievous white-haired Gryffindor.

Rapunzel and Fishlegs smiled widely at Jacks comment that the Ravenclaws knew had actually been spot on regarding the sarcasm and emotional walls. Hiccup wasn't about to admit that though.

"No thanks, I like my walls. I'm actually considering expanding them and adding a moat" he said sarcastically.

"Then I just have to find some ingenious way to bust in. That's one of my specialties after all" Jack declared, smiling mischievously. The white-haired teen's blue eyes shone with laughter, and he put his hands on his hips in an obvious challenge. Oh it was a challenge he wanted? Well Hiccup was not going to let him get away with that.

"Oh joy…I get to be stalked by the school prankster with the inflated ego" Hiccup shot back, wrapping every word in a neat package of sarcasm. He could form sharp, sarcastic retorts in his sleep.

"Inflated ego? Please..." Jack waved his hands in dismissive motions to reject Hiccups statement. "My amazingly good looks and super-human cunning astounds anyone who meets me" he said, triumphantly.

"Yeah…" Hiccup deadpanned. "I like to make stuff up too".

DunBroch burst out laughing at this, while the white-haired boy gave Hiccup a scowl. He had definitely won this round, and he smirked in self-satisfaction.

"Traitor" Jack then muttered angrily to his red-haired friend, glaring at her and nudging her shoulder in protest.

"I like your style, Haddock. Frosty needs some bumps in his ego once in a while" the wild-haired Gryffindor girl said, while nudging Jacks shoulder back, almost breathless from her laughter fit.

"It's Hiccup. But thanks" he smiled genuinely. He had never been a fan of calling people by their last names, as was tradition at Hogwarts with acquaintances. It just seemed awkward and too formal for him to be comfortable with it. He was a Viking after all, and Vikings didn't appreciate formalities for formalities sake. He did it anyway though, as he doubted people would take it well, if he just called everyone by their first names. That would probably seem intrusive in some way.

The red-head nodded and gave him a friendly smile. "Then you can call me Merida".

"I will." Hiccup said. "Oh…and this is Rapunzel and Fishlegs" he introduced his friends, gesturing to each of them as he spoke their names. They'd never actually talked to Merida before, though they obviously knew who she was. The curly-haired girl nodded politely at them, and his friends both did a little greeting wave at her.

"So…if you're done trying to bruise my confidence…what are you reading?" Jack asked curiously while plopping down casually on the bench next to Hiccup, glancing at the textbook.

"No one could ever bruise your confidence, Jack" Hiccup stated. "And I'm studying for "Building, Managing and Repair of Magical Objects".

"Wauw, someone actually takes that class?" Jack remarked in surprise, sounding immediately bored.

"Of course _you_ wouldn't like it. You only like to break stuff" Hiccup said teasingly and Jack chuckled genuinely at that. It was partially true though. Jack Frost was well-known for breaking stuff, and he had landed in detention more than once because of that. Hiccup was personally more into creating and mending things. He felt at peace when he was working on a project and the feeling of satisfaction that followed with successfully building or mending something always brought a smile to his face.

"Hiccup's somewhat of an inventor" Rapunzel beamed, proud of her friend and his skills. Hiccup felt touched by her words and felt his cheeks flush a little. He still wasn't used to people being proud of him, since he'd had his ego deflated so many times in the past. It was slowly beginning to repair itself though. Very slowly.

"Really?" Jack said curiously and tilted his head to one side. "What have you invented?"

"Lots of things…" Hiccup said, feeling a little embarrassed. He wasn't sure how this would sound to someone, who didn't know his background. "During the holidays I invented a shield that can turn into a crossbow"

"What!? That is awesome!" Jack exclaimed wide-eyed and with a huge grin on his pale face. Hiccup felt the warmth in his cheeks increase by this loud and unexpected compliment, and he hoped the gods were kind enough to not let Jack see him blushing, as that would surely be used against him in some way. He was happy nonetheless that his invention was deemed awesome.

"Yeah, I had no idea you could make weapons!" Merida said sounding impressed and interested, while smiling warmly at him. Huh. She was interested in weapons? Then they had plenty to talk about.

Jack chuckled. "You've just found the way to Meridas heart: violence". Merida glared at him and punched him on the arm. So Hiccups thoughts had been confirmed. Merida was interested in weapons and apparently violence as well. In that moment she reminded him a little of Astrid.

"Ouch". Jack rubbed his arm. "You just proved my point, Mer."

"Yeah, Hiccups inventions are great…the ones that work and don't hurt anyone" Fishlegs remarked and sent a friendly but teasing smile his way. Oh great. Fishlegs had chosen this moment to tease him in front of two people they didn't really know.

"Thanks Fishlegs" Hiccup said sarcastically. He was well-aware of all the errors he had made inventing stuff, but that was inevitable. No inventor could just invent things that worked instantly every time, and Hiccup actually liked the whole process of building something, adjusting it, testing it, adjusting it again and so on until it finally worked perfectly for its intended purpose. Like flying, it was something that soothed his mind, although not as much as the freedom of the sky and Toothless by his side.

"What do you mean?" Jack asked curiously, and Hiccup couldn't shake the feeling that the white-haired boy sensed some good stories here. And more ammunition for their banter.

Hiccup sighed. "I might have made a catapult once that ended up breaking my cousin's arm, when it malfunctioned…and a net-trapper that accidentally trapped my dad in a net for hours. He was _not _happy". It was a long time ago, but Hiccup could still clearly recall the livid face of his dad, and the bruises Snotlout had given him when his arm had healed.

Jack and Merida both burst out laughing, while Rapunzel and Fishlegs merely smiled at the well-known stories. They knew all about his inventions and the accidents they sometimes caused. His friends also knew however, that when they worked they were pretty damn useful.

"No way!" Jack beamed and Merida was trying to catch her breath and stop her laughing.

"And remember that time, when you made that self-filling feeder for the sheep, but it couldn't stop filling in food, so suddenly all the sheep were fat?"

"Yes, Fishlegs, thank you" Hiccup deadpanned.

"And the time where you tried to -"

"Thank you Fishlegs" Hiccup interrupted. Fishlegs took the hint and stopped talking, but still had that amused smile on his face.

Jack and Merida both chuckled.

"When you invent things there's always going to be trial and error" Hiccup said sheepishly. He wasn't sure if other people really understood the kind of process it took to actually invent something. It was a lot more difficult than what people seemed to think.

"How did you even learn to build stuff?" Merida inquired curiously. "It's pretty unusual to meet someone who can build catapults and crossbows". He saw Jack nodding in agreement.

"I worked as a blacksmiths apprentice since I was little. He taught me how to work with metals and leather, and how to make and repair weapons and every day objects. From there I just started to try and improve things or get ideas for new things on my own" he explained, and wondered if they would find that background strange. They probably would. Life in the archipelago was very different from life anywhere else.

"What? What kind of kid works at a blacksmiths?" Jack said disbelievingly, confirming Hiccups thoughts that they would most likely find it weird.

"Jack, we're from the Barbaric Archipelago. We learn to handle weapons, as soon as we're old enough to lift them, we have snow and hail most of the year, we used to have lots of dragon attacks, and we're mostly isolated from other societies except the other islands, so we have to learn how to survive…the place is like a timewarp. There's no electricity or any other modern commodities" Hiccup stated matter-of-factly. Jack seemed to understand as he nodded and then smiled at Hiccup, flashing his incredibly white, straight teeth, which caused Hiccup to give him a small but genuine smile in return.

"Yeah, and the only place Hiccup could stay out of trouble was at Gobber's workshop" Fishlegs interjected with a sly smile on his face. Oh gods…not this again.

"Once again, Fishlegs….thanks" Hiccup said, his words dripping with his trademark sarcasm. Fishlegs would never reveal anything truly personal about him to others, but he liked to make vague comments and references to things that had gone wrong. Hiccup knew that it was only friendly teasing though, so he never felt bad about it. That didn't mean that Fishlegs was just going to get away with it though.

"What, you were a troublemaker? Doesn't seem like you, Haddock" Merida said amused.

Hiccup shrugged. He really didn't want to explain Fishleg's vague comment, seeing as it was kind of personal how he had always messed things up and been a huge disappointment until a few years ago. Not really something you just tell people you barely know. "Anyway…" he said, trying to change the subject. "We learn a lot of skills that others don't."

"Sounds like it." Jack replied, seeming interested. He tilted his head slightly. "But how is this place even kept secret from the muggles? It's obviously a huge area filled with islands, and there are Vikings AND dragons for Merlin's sake".

Hiccup smiled at the boy's curiosity. Jack genuinely seemed interested in the Vikings and their ways, and he appreciated that. Fishlegs obviously shared his interest in their culture, and Rapunzel would ask questions once in a while, trying to understand her friends' backgrounds better, but other than that, people didn't inquire much about it. Well, they probably didn't even know about it, as it wasn't something that he, Astrid or Fishlegs spoke of very often.

Even though Hiccup was a very atypical Viking and always had been, his cultural background did mean a lot to him. When he was away from home, he tried to hold on to it by remembering do to little things like writing notes using runes, or speaking a few words of old norse with Fishlegs once in a while. It made him feel connected to his culture, even though he was far away from Berk for most of the year.

"Well, although magic is rare back home, there are some witches and wizards there to shield the place from the muggles, so they won't accidentally discover it. And somehow the dragons know to keep themselves within the archipelago" Hiccup said thoughtfully. He had wondered about this many times, but he didn't know if the dragons just stuck to the islands where they fed and lay eggs, and therefore had no need to leave, or if it was something else. He hoped that the dragons would always remain within the boundaries of the archipelago. It would be a disaster if they suddenly left and was discovered by muggles, who thought they were just a myth.

"It just seems almost impossible to keep such a place secret" Jack remarked, while leaning slightly forward to rest his arms on the table.

"It's easier than keeping a whole wizarding world concealed right next to the muggles. Diagon alley, the Hogwarts Express, the ministry of magic, all of those things are in London, right under the muggles' noses." Hiccup explained. He knew that it wasn't exactly easy to keep the archipelago a secret, but it definitely helped that it was completely isolated from muggle societies.

"Hmm, good point" Jack replied, seeming to be contemplating something, which was rather odd for him, Hiccup thought. Even though the boy was clearly smart and had some academic interests too, it was unusual for him to get all quiet and deep in thought. But there's always more he reminded himself sternly.

This only lasted about ten seconds though, as Jack suddenly flew out of his seat on the bench and jumped up in the air, grabbing something.

"Yes!" he exclaimed, making the four other teens look at him with confused expressions. What in Odin's name was that strange pale Gryffindor doing?

"Did you see that? I just caught that mosquito mid-air! I'm a goddamn super ninja!" Jack exclaimed happily and laughed, obviously delighted with his accomplishment. Hiccup couldn't stop himself from chuckling at the other boy's enthusiasm after a few seconds of complete confusion. He shook his head. Jack really did seem like a child in many ways, but Hiccup found that he didn't think that was bad thing. Usually people grew up way too fast, letting go of their childish ways as soon as they could. That was a shame in his opinion.

"Is he always like that?" he asked Merida with a crooked smile.

"Oh yeah". She snorted and rolled her eyes, though with a faint smile on her lips, that told Hiccup that the red-head was actually very fond of her friend's strange ideas. It reminded him of how he often reacted to Rapunzel bizarre sketches, being amused and slightly confused about it, but also appreciating that side of his friend a lot, since that was one of the things that made her unique. He thought that it was probably a similar situation with Jack and Merida.

"Hey, come on, that was pretty cool right?" Jack asked the other teens, still excited. "I obviously have super-human reflexes" he continued with mock pride. "So if you need help with anything that's too fast for your slow human senses, you know who to call!".

"Well, we could've used you last night with that moth" Fishlegs said, a warm smile on his face from Jacks elation. Hiccup shook his head. Fishlegs wasn't scared of bugs, but he strongly disliked them, which could be quite entertaining. Last night he had insisted that they didn't go to sleep, before that moth was out of the room. Even though Hiccup didn't care at all about whether some bug was flying around, he did his best to chase down the little bugger to keep Fishlegs happy.

"Shhh, Fish, don't encourage…that!" Hiccup said pointing at Jack. In all honesty Hiccup didn't mind Jacks jokes and mischief at all, no matter what form it came in, but he wasn't about to say that out loud. He had a banter thing going on with Jack, and central to that banter was pretending that they didn't like each other at all. Something Hiccup found very entertaining, as that was rarely a part of the banter he had with Rapunzel and Fishlegs.

"A moth?" Jack asked curiously, tilting his head of snow-white hair and narrowing his eyes in suspicion. "I should have been there to save you from certain death!" he continued, increasing his volume in a dramatic way that indicated danger and slamming his fist into the table.

"Riiiight…our hero" Hiccup drawled and crossed his arms. "Saving us from the annoying insect that invaded our dormitory"

"Oh, moths are not mere insects, my young padawan." Jack said, lowering his voice almost to a whisper. "They are elusive, cunning and master manipulators…They want you to think that they are just innocent harmless bugs, and then…when you least expect it…they bite you right in the throat, ripping out your soft flesh and killing you on the spot. They have no morals…no honor….no soul" he whispered and looked around him, as if he was revealing some terrible secret and checking that no one else heard him

Hiccup laughed at this, finding the idea of moths as secretive master assassins very amusing, and Fishlegs, Rapunzel and Merida all joined in. He suddenly stopped his laughter though, as a realization came to him. Oh that white-haired jerk.

"Wait…did you just call me your padawan?" he asked Jack disbelievingly and with a raised eyebrow.

"Sure I did. After all, you have a lot to learn about life, and who better to teach you than a jedi master?" Jack said, as if it made perfect sense and crossed his arms.

Hiccup snorted. "You are _not_ a jedi master".

Hiccup and Fishlegs knew about TV and movies before they came to Hogwarts, but they had never seen any of it. When they'd made friends with Rapunzel they had spent some time with her muggle family during some of the holidays, and that's where they'd been introduced to things like TV and the internet, which fascinated both Viking boys. Hiccup fondly remembered their movie nights over the years, where they easily watched five or six movies while stuffing their faces with popcorn. Rapunzel showed them a lot of movies that were considered to be classics among the muggles, and Fishlegs and Hiccup had both particularly loved the Star Wars trilogy, which they'd seen several times by now.

"Of course I am. How else could I be this wise, brave and good-looking with super-human skills?"

"And what am I? Some sort of inexperienced, unknowledgeable apprentice, who needs someone to look up to?"

"Well…you said that, I was merely hinting at it" Jack said cheekily, while giving Hiccup his trademark smirk.

Hiccup gave Jack a deadly glare to keep up that act, but then chuckled. "Despite what you might think, I'm not that inexperienced in life". Hiccup was pleased to see, that his comment temporarily shut Jack up, as the snow-haired boy was trying to find some sort of retort but failing. Serves him right. Hiccup was not a little kid anymore, he thought to himself amused. As if he was ever going to be someone's padawan. No thank you.

"Well, if you two are done discussing who's the padawan, we really should take some time to study" Rapunzel said, though sounding a bit disappointed. The girl seemed to enjoy watching him and Jack joke around with each other, but she wasn't wrong about this. They did have a lot of homework, so it was best to get started on at least some of it.

"Yeah, you're right" Hiccup agreed, although he'd rather continue the conversation with the other teens. He was having fun with Jack and Merida, well…especially Jack, but Merida was already growing on him as well, he had to admit.

"Well, we'll leave you to it, bookworms. I'll guess I'll see you guys in class then" Jack remarked, as he picked up his grey backpack and slung it over one shoulder. Merida got up from the bench and did the same thing with her own bag, before giving a small wave to the three other teens.

"Sure. Bye Jack…Bye Merida" Fishlegs said warmly, and Rapunzel and Hiccup added their goodbyes as well.

As the two Gryffindors walked away, their retreating forms becoming smaller and smaller, Fishlegs smiled at Hiccup.

"They seem nice" he simply said. Fishlegs was a bit shy and sensitive, but he was always open to getting to know other people, and he would never reject anyone. He always tried to be understanding of others, which was one of his best qualities.

"Yeah. I don't really know them yet, but…they seem okay" he replied vaguely. It was the truth, although if he was completely honest with himself, he found that the two Gryffindors seemed more than okay.

"Definitely" Rapunzel interjected with her bubbly voice. "I hope we can be friends with them, they were fun!".

Hiccup smiled fondly at the girl. Rapunzel was always so upbeat and open when it came to others. It was one of the things he liked most about her. It was a good quality to have, and Hiccup secretly wished that he still had that quality himself, but over the years he had experienced his fair share of jerks and manipulative people. He still considered himself a friendly person, but he wasn't nearly as open as Rapunzel.

While Rapunzel and Fishlegs began discussing their homework in Magical History, Hiccup tried to busy himself with his own homework. He found however, that his thoughts landed on Jack more than he would like. He couldn't quite figure the other boy out. They had shared classes for years, and once in a while exchanged some words when they'd been paired up for groupwork, but other than that they really hadn't had anything to do with each other. Sure, Hiccup had noticed that Jack and his friends seemed to find his sarcastic, quick-witted comments entertaining, but that didn't explain, why Jack had begun to suddenly approach him and talk to him out of the blue. Even though he hadn't asked about Toothless or the battle with the Red Death, Hiccup did feel slightly suspicious about this. He actually kind of liked Jack, even though they didn't know each other well yet. The boy was funny and clever and he enjoyed their banter, but Hiccup definitely couldn't let his guard down around him. He caught himself hoping that Jack wasn't just another student, who wanted to get to know him simply because of the dragons. Sure, he wasn't about to actually tell Jack anything about Toothless or the other dragons, but it was still unpleasant that some people seemed to just want to use him for information. He shrugged to himself. He would have to wait and see about that. He would give Jack a chance. For now.

~~~~ Jack ~~~~

The gentle autumn breeze was rustling the tree tops, caressing the yellow and orange leaves like an affectionate old friend. The sun let its delicate rays illuminate the world in a mellow glow that contrasted greatly with its sharp, insistent light during the summer. The soft fragile sound of grass submitting under his feet reached Jacks ears, as he was walking slowly towards the lake, and he observed the green strands scrape against his shoes. As he came closer to his destination, yellow and orange leaves were scattered all around from the tall trees surrounding the massive body of water. Jack found a simple pleasure in the crunching, crackling sound of the dry autumn leaves beneath his feet. Charms had gone by quickly, even though it had been a double lesson. As usual he and Flynn had amused themselves by challenging each other to a laugh-off while practicing the spells, where the winner was the one who held their laughter in the longest. Today, Jack hated to admit, Flynn had won. They'd split up after class, Jack heading towards the lake to study with Hiccup and Flynn heading towards the detention he had landed himself in, when he decided to mess with the Chinchoos.

Jack found himself looking for a familiar brown mess of hair the closer he got to the lake. He was uncertain why, but he felt a little drawn to the brunet Ravenclaw for some reason. He wanted to talk to him, to find out more about him, to tease him and receive those razor-sharp sarcastic replies in return. He practically felt giddy inside, when he spotted the familiar green-eyed boy sitting by the edge of the lake under a massive oak tree. Doing this project wasn't going to be so bad.

~~~~ Hiccup ~~~~

Hiccup enjoyed the outdoors, so he had been pleased when Jack had suggested that they work on their project outside. His Building, Managing and Repairing class had gone by quickly as usual, and he had even had some time at the end of class to briefly work on a stronger, thicker metal-rod for Toothless' tailfin. Even though he had seen his large scaly friend on their usual morning flight, he already found that he missed him. He felt the familiar tug of guilt inside, because Toothless had to remain by himself while Hiccup was at school. The dragon never complained though, and Toothless seemed content in general. Maybe he was being too hard on himself as usual. After all, he did make sure to visit Toothless twice a day and make time for a long flight and a talk with his best friend. The black dragon was probably sleeping the rest of the time. Still though, Hiccup wished that his best friend could be close to him at all times. They were connected. They were brothers. When Toothless wasn't around, Hiccup had that strange feeling that something vital was missing. It didn't feel as natural and comfortable as when the large scaly Night Fury was by his side, and Hiccup was sure that he could never get used to the feeling of being without Toothless. He was lucky that Headmaster Lunar had agreed to let Toothless stay in the small forest for the remaining years of Hiccups education, except when they went home to Berk on holidays of course. After Hiccups recovery following the battle with the Red Death, he had refused to return to Hogwarts unless Toothless could come. He would not be separated from his best friend. His soulmate. That would be too much to bear for either of them. They had a bond that only they fully understood, and they needed to be around each other. Luckily the headmaster had agreed on the condition that Professor Brown would be able to meet Toothless and pick Hiccups brain regarding dragon knowledge and that it was kept secret from the other students for their own safety. The timing regarding professor Browns questions and meeting with Toothless had been up to Hiccup and he had chosen this year, although he wasn't sure why. Maybe it was to get it done before his final year where exams would be the cause of plenty of stress.

The brunet sighed. It wasn't too bad to spend some time with Professor Brown once in a while, answering all his eager questions about dragons, and watching him meet Toothless had been priceless. The gruff professor's eyes were wide in awe and he practically looked like a child who had been handed the greatest gift in history. Hiccup had made sure that Toothless understood that the professor wasn't a threat, and the black Night Fury had let the large teacher pet him and observe him. Professor Brown had thanked Hiccup warmly afterwards, actually pulling him into a friendly hug. Hiccup smiled at the memory.

"Hey Hic!" An airy, enthusiastic voice pulled the young Viking out of his thoughts. A little smile graced his lips. That voice could only belong to a certain mischievous young Gryffindor with snow-white hair.

He turned his head and watched as Jack came closer and then sat down in front of him, legs crossed.

"Hi Jack" Hiccup replied, giving him a friendly smile.

Jack observed him curiously for a few seconds, and Hiccup wondered why he was looking at him in that analyzing way. He found himself becoming a little self-conscious, but luckily Jack's scrutiny didn't last long.

"Aren't you cold?" Jack asked and gestured to him, as a way of pointing out his lack of warm clothes. He was only wearing his school uniform and a green scarf that Rapunzel had made for him.

He couldn't stop the laughter that escaped his lips, and Jacks brow furrowed in obvious confusion, which only made him laugh harder. This made Jacks lips form into an amused smirk.

"Did I say something funny?" he asked, his blue eyes watching Hiccup intently.

"It's just…I'm from Berk, where it's freezing cold most of the time. I'm not bothered by some chilly autumn wind" he explained to the Gryffindor.

"Oh…that makes sense, I guess" Jack shrugged but continued to smile in amusement.

"What about you? You're not wearing a jacket or anything either?" Hiccup asked him and looked him over for a few seconds. He didn't appear to be cold at all, he actually looked strangely comfortable.

"I'm never really cold…except when getting up in the morning" Jack replied cheerily and pulled his bag up next to him, fishing out their Defense against the Dark Arts textbook – a massive black, leatherbound tome.

Very high tolerance of cold that apparently matched Hiccups own? Definitely a quirk, the Viking thought to himself.

"Wauw…" Hiccup deadpanned, causing Jack to shoot him a questioning look with his ice blue eyes.

"You really are Jack Frost aren't you?" he asked sarcastically, making Jack smirk amused in response.

"Sure am! The harbinger of winter himself" the pale teen replied enthusiastically and held up both his hands in a triumphant gesture.

"Too bad that haircolor isn't natural then. That would make it much more authentic"

"What? This is totally natural" Jack said indignantly, gesturing to his white, slightly spiky hair.

Wait, what? That snow-white hair was his own hair color? That seemed rather...unbelievable. How in Odin's name did something like that happen?

"Right…so you come from a family filled with white-haired people?" Hiccup asked, wondering if Jacks hair was the result of some sort of freaky mutated gene or a hereditary trait. Right now he was betting on mutation. He briefly thought of Jack as some kind of winter mutant, which amused him.

"Actually I'm adopted" Jack replied while shrugging, causing Hiccup to feel a blush creep into his cheeks. Nice going, Hiccup, way to make your new acquaintance feel uncomfortable. He had accidentally stumbled upon a rather sensitive fact and when speaking to someone you didn't really know very well, that created a certain awkwardness. Hiccup really loathed awkwardness, but he was used to it by now, since he was rarely very comfortable in his own skin.

"You…you are?" he found himself asking, feeling unsure of what else to say. How did you respond to something like that being flung out in the middle of a conversation?

"Yeah. Me and my sister lost our parents when we were young. Luckily we were adopted together" Jack explained calmly and flipped open his textbook, as if the whole thing was no big deal. It was though, Hiccup thought. He had lost his mother when he was young, so he could relate in some way to what Jack was telling him, although it wasn't completely the same thing.

"Well, that was…lucky…look Jack, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to-" Hiccup started, eager to explain, but was quickly interrupted by the other teen, who held a hand up to stop the babbling Viking. He immediately shut up.

"No problem. You didn't know. And besides, it was many years ago" Jack answered and shrugged, sounding very calm and collected about it. Well, at least that was something.

"How old is your sister?" Hiccup asked, wanting to steer the conversation away from the social faux pas he had just made. Or at least, that _he_ believed he had made. Jack didn't seem to be affected by it at all, which was a relief. Hiccup didn't want to cause any tension between them, now that they were getting along well. They weren't friends by a long shot, but it was rare for Hiccup to form any kind of connection with other students. It wasn't that he didn't like people but he was a classic introvert. He kept few but very close friends, who he loved and cherished more than anything else. He wasn't a social butterfly like Jack. He wasn't one to go to parties or bother to form a lot of acquaintances that he had to maintain. Being around a lot of people was draining on him, having to keep up appearances and using a lot of energy to stay updated on other peoples' lives. No, he preferred his few close friends, who he knew better than anyone, and who he could rely on any time without question. Even though he loved Fishlegs and Rapunzel though, he still needed his alone time once in a while. That was the way he recharged his batteries – by spending some peaceful quiet time outside sketching or reading a book on his bed when the dormitory was empty. Or by spending time with Toothless, since the dragon never drained him like people did. It was rare for him to make new friends, but he didn't mind that at all. That was just the way he was, and he was comfortable with it.

"She's 11 now. Her name's Emma" Jack replied, his lips twitching and with a certain warm fondness in his clear blue eyes.

"And…she's not magical?" Hiccup asked hesitantly, still slightly cautious not to pry into any sensitive topics. His hand fiddled with one of his two small braids, a gesture he knew he did too much when he felt awkward. It was a comfort to him though, a familiar feeling that gave him something to do to remove some focus from his thoughts.

"Unfortunately, no. It would be nice having her around here." Jack replied and Hiccup thought he heard longing in the other teens' voice, which would make sense. Hiccup didn't have any siblings and would never experience that close bond that could form between them, but he considered Toothless his brother, and if Jack had a bond with his sister that even remotely resembled the closeness of him and Toothless, then it must be very difficult being away from her. Hiccup couldn't imagine being separated from Toothless for long. It would not only be difficult emotionally but it would physically _hurt.  
><em>  
>"Yeah, I'm sure you miss her, being away for most of the year?" he asked sympathetically, tilting his head a little. Now that Hiccup thought about it, he hadn't previously considered just how difficult it must be for other students to be away from their family for most of the year. Fishlegs was an only child just like Hiccup, and their Viking culture had made them accustomed to being away from people they cared about for periods of time, such as when the older Vikings had to leave Berk for negotiating treaties, gaining new allies or trading partners or other diplomatic responsibilities. Of course there were also battles with other tribes, but the last one had been many years ago, before Hiccup was born. Rapunzel was an only child as well, but she had a close bond with her parents. He knew the blonde girl missed them, but she didn't show it much, as she wrote them and received letters from them in return several times a week. She also got care packages often with pictures of her parents and what they had experienced, freshly baked raisin cookies and items such as new sketchbooks and paint or homemade mittens, scarves and so on. Hiccup always felt quite touched when his bubbly friend received those packages, glad that her parents were so caring and concerned that they needed to do something nice for her on a regular basis. It was also strangely unfamiliar to himself though, as he had never experienced that kind of parenting before himself. Of course he knew that his dad loved him and cared for him, but like a true Viking he rarely showed it. It was only a few flickers of warmth in his father's eyes, and a few kind, supportive words once in a while that gave Stoick the Vasts feelings away.<p>

"Yeah, I do…but we write each other every few days, so we stay updated on what's going on with the other one." Jack said, his eyes softening.

"That's nice" Hiccup said gently and he meant it. It must be a nice, comforting feeling having a sibling who you can talk to, someone who had always been close to you, ever since you were little. Hiccup had Fishlegs of course, but they had only really started to be close friends when they started at Hogwarts, so for the first 11 years of his life, Hiccup was pretty much alone. "What about your parents, do you write them that often too?" he then added out of curiosity.

Jack gently shook his head. "Nah. I write them about once a week, so it's often but not as often as Emma" he explained. "They would probably love if I wrote them every day, but that would be a bit much, especially during busy times like midterms and exams".

"That makes sense" Hiccup replied. "They sound nice" he added and meant it. Obviously they were interested in Jack's life and wanted to stay updated on how he was doing. That seemed like a couple of caring parents to Hiccup at least.

The other boy nodded eagerly ."They're the best. Really. North is a huge, tall Russian guy with a thick accent, a long white beard and tattoos, which makes him look very intimidating but he's seriously the nicest guy on earth. And Anna, she probably seems eccentric to some with her colorful clothes and hair and makeup, but she always has time for me and Emma, and she always wants to know what's going on with us, and what we think about everything. They're very supportive and I know that I can always come to them if I need help with anything" Jack finished speaking softly, his eyes filled with affection for his family.

Hiccup felt sad for a split-second, because he knew that he could never experience that kind of family life. He quickly pushed the thought away though. There was no use in feeling down about things he could never change anyway. He loved his dad after all, even if he wasn't always that understanding and Vikings typically weren't the types to show obvious affection.

He gave Jack a small smile and rubbed his hands. "It sounds like your family consists of some pretty colorful individuals" he said with amusement evident in his tone.

"Oh yes" Jack agreed and chuckled slightly. "We're quite the team. You should see us around Christmas…that's where it gets really busy in our house" he beamed with enthusiasm.

Jacks wide smile was infectious and Hiccup found his own lips twitching, giving Jack a smile in return.

"Really? What's it like?" He asked curiously. He knew a lot about Christmas by now, having experienced some of it at Hogwarts every year for the past five years, and having heard a lot about the celebration and its' traditions from Rapunzel as well, but he was sure that every family did their own twists on the traditions. He'd never celebrated Christmas himself. Not that he really minded, although it did sound quite fun.

"Well, North goes into Christmas-mode, which means that he is constantly humming Christmas songs, baking cookies, decorating the house inside and out, buying presents, taking us sledding, and all kinds of other fun stuff. He never ever gets enough of Christmas, for him it's the best time of the year. My friends are all absolutely certain that he's actually Santa Claus." Jack said, laughing warmly. "It doesn't help that he likes to wear red and that he takes advice from his belly"

Hiccup laughed at this, imagining it quite vividly. Then a thought occurred to him.

"Wait…" he said, furrowing his brow. "So…you're Jack Frost and your adoptive dad is Santa Claus? That's quite a family" he chuckled.

"Yeah. At night when everyone is sleeping, North picks me up in his sleigh and we go fight evil super villains" Jack said with mirth in his ice blue eyes. Those eyes were seriously intense to look at sometimes. Well, Jack's whole appearance was pretty unusual with his pale skin, snow-white hair and very blue eyes. It definitely made him stand out.

"Sure, because candy canes and snowballs are always effective against dark forces" he said sarcastically, causing Jack to grin widely.

Hiccup broke eye contact with the other boy and looked at the peaceful blue lake next to him, shining in the faint autumn sun. A few moments of silence passed.

"Do you write your family?" Hiccup heard the other teen ask, in a voice that held equal amounts of hesitance and curiosity. Jack probably thought that the subject might be sensitive Hiccup reasoned. Which it was a bit…but not so much that he needed to keep it hidden.

"Well….I only really have my dad left….and an annoying cousin and uncle who I don't talk to much. I write him once in a while, but not that often" Hiccup admitted, fiddling with the hem of his shirt to keep his hands busy. He still felt a tad awkward and self-conscious, though he wasn't quite sure why. They were just talking about their families, and even though Hiccup had accidentally stumbled upon the fact that Jack was adopted, the other boy hadn't seemed to mind telling him about it. So what was there to be nervous about?

"I'm sorry about your mum". Jacks voice was calm and soothing, and Hiccup found himself smiling a small and careful smile.

"It was a long time ago" he simply said. "I was too young to really remember it…anyway…You and your sister are close?" he asked, wanting once again to move the conversation in another direction. He didn't want so much focus on himself and his own dysfunctional family life.

Jack immediately grinned, revealing those straight, white teeth and Hiccup felt his own lips twitch by seeing the obvious happiness on the other teen's face. He had once overheard a girl say that Jacks teeth were as white as freshly fallen snow, and he silently agreed with her in this moment.

"Very!" Jack said enthusiastically. "We tell each other almost everything, and when I'm home for the holidays we spend all our time playing and talking and laughing, catching up on everything we're missing when I'm back here" Jack finished, his voice full of affection and warmth at the memories of his time with his sister.

"That sounds great. Do you play pranks on her too?" he asked teasingly, though he was pretty sure he already knew the answer.

"Of course I do! Just because we're family doesn't mean she gets to miss out on my devious and hilarious strokes of genius…duh!" Jack replied and rolled his eyes as if Hiccups question had been completely absurd.

The Viking chuckled once again. He had already gotten used to that fake superiority and arrogance that Jack liked to use during banter, and he found it very amusing. Besides making him laugh, it also provided some great openings to shoot the white-haired teen down with some sharp, sarcastic wit. Now was one of those times.

"Hasn't the poor girl suffered enough being related to _you_?" Hiccup asked, raising his eyebrows and emphasizing the last word to seem condescending, as if Jack was such an insufferable burden that his sister must be overwhelmed.

"What!?" Jack said in a high-pitched tone of disbelief, while widening his eyes, which Hiccup found incredibly funny to observe. "Anyone would be thrilled to be related to me" he finished defiantly while crossing his arms and narrowing his eyes a little.

"Right…being biologically connected for life with a white-haired prankster with an unnatural obsession with snowball fights must be a pure thrill" Hiccup deadpanned, keeping his face blank to underline the lack of excitement of the statement. He found that he liked baiting Jack like this, getting a defiant reaction from him.

"Says the nerdy bookworm with a dragon-obsession and a prosthetic leg" Jack shot back triumphantly, uncrossing his arms.

"Foot" Hiccup corrected him, causing Jack to roll his eyes. "But point taken" he finished.

"Did it hurt?" Jack suddenly asked, before something flashed across his blue eyes. It seemed almost like...regret? He was probably wondering if the question was too personal. Hiccup didn't mind though. It had been terrible losing his left foot, and it had taken him a long time to get used to the prosthetic, but it wasn't a sensitive topic for him as such. In the last two years he had come to accept the fact that his left foot was gone and not be too bothered by it. The only thing that made him slightly self-conscious was showing it to others. Well…others that weren't Vikings since being an amputee was actually very normal in the barbaric archipelago. Therefore he always kept it hidden when he was at school, and the only people here who had really seen it were Fishlegs and Rapunzel.

"Yeah it did. A lot" He answered, emphasizing the last two words. Jack seemed to wince slightly, which was a bit strange, but maybe he just found the thought a little disturbing. Hiccup knew that it was difficult for people to fully comprehend that he was missing a limb and the consequences that it had in his life. Some people were even a little repulsed by it and some were uncertain about how to act around him, as if the only thing there was to him as a person was his missing foot.

A brief moment of silence passed between the two teenage boys, before Hiccup cleared his throat, chasing the quiet away. He really didn't appreciate this sudden air of awkwardness.

"Uh…we should probably get started on this" he said neutrally, motioning to the big black textbook lying next to him.

Jacks face immediately changed from regretful to pained.

"Awww….do we have to?" He whined. Hiccup couldn't keep his lips from twitching at that child-like voice and that hurting expression coming from Jack.

"If you'll be a good boy and do your homework, you can get some sweets afterwards" Hiccup said in a light voice, mimicking what a mother would say to get her son to behave.

"Okay, but it better be good!" Jack said, obviously resigning to the fact that he was going to have to do some homework. Hiccup smiled at the Gryffindor boy's resistance. He knew that Jack was a smart guy, he had seen that a few times in classes over the years, but he obviously didn't like doing assignments. Hiccup on the other hand wasn't too bothered by it. Sure it could be a bit of a pain, if he had trouble fitting everything into his schedule and if it interfered with other things he wanted to do, but that was the reason he usually got it over with as quickly as possible. Now however, he was paired up with a white-haired mischievous Gryffindor, who was intelligent but lacked discipline. Not that it mattered really. He enjoyed spending time with Jack, so if that meant handing in the assignment a bit later than what he was used to, that would be okay with him.

"Fine fine" Hiccup said dismissively. "Now…let's get started". He picked up the massive black tome and flipped through the pages until he landed on the one he was looking for.

"Okay…Do you think we should write about the basilisk or the acromantula?" He asked, getting into study-mode, which meant concentration and focus. At least for him it did. Jack looked ready to run away.

~~~~ Hiccup ~~~~

His grip on the quill relaxed as he wrote down the last word of the sentence, and watched his neat and orderly calligraphy on the parchment with a certain satisfaction. The chilly autumn wind ruffled his hair, and crept down his neck, where he felt a patch of exposed skin being chilled by the gentle breeze. He adjusted the soft green scarf with his free hand, covering the bit of naked skin while still eying the parchment in front of him.

"Why aren't you wearing your Ravenclaw scarf?" a curious voice suddenly asked him. He lifted his head and met the blue gaze of a certain snow-haired teen sitting across from him with an intrigued look upon his pale face.

"Well…sometimes I like to wear this one instead" Hiccup simply stated and raised an eyebrow, wondering why Jack would ask such a strange question. What did it matter which scarf he wore? Sometimes he would wear his blue and white striped house scarf, and at other times he liked to wear this one. He had the distinct feeling that Jack was somehow analyzing him based on this seemingly unimportant piece of trivia, and it suddenly made him a bit uneasy. He quickly dismissed the thought though. That was ridiculous. What could Jack possible conclude based on his choice of scarf?

"Where did you get it?" the other boy asked, tilting his head slightly to the right.

"Rapunzel made it for me. It was a Christmas present from her last year" he said fondly, remembering how happy he had been to receive it that Christmas. Even though he and Fishlegs didn't actually celebrate Christmas, they liked the decorations and the traditions of it at Hogwarts, and they had agreed with Rapunzel that the three of them would exchange gifts every year. She had spent a lot of time making the scarf, and he had been truly touched by the gesture. He could tell that she had put much thought into it. It was a deep, rich forest-green color matching his eyes, and it had a small and discreet pattern of dragons on it in a slightly darker green. It was also the softest thing Hiccup had ever worn, and it always managed to keep him warm from the cold, harsh winter winds. He really cherished it, and to this day it was one of the best gifts he had ever gotten. She had also made a scarf for Fishlegs. The blonde boy's favorite season was autumn, and Hiccup wasn't sure what it was, but Fishlegs just loved watching the changing colors of the foliage and feeling the mild sun and the gentle breeze that made the season a nice mix of summer and winter. Rapunzel had made the scarf in a deep earthy brown color with autumn leaves on it in golden tones. The blonde boy had been just as touched and excited by the gift, as Hiccup was by his.

"She's got some skills" Jack replied, sounding impressed. "It looks pretty complicated to make, with the little dragons and everything" the white-haired teen finished, and looked intently at the scarf as if trying to decipher some kind of code.

"She's very talented, yes" Hiccup agreed warmly. Rapunzel really did have a lot of creative skills in everything from painting and sketching, to knitting, to making sculptures, to playing instruments. Hiccups own creative talent wasn't as varied as hers, as he kept his focus on painting, sketching and inventing.

"You two seem like you do a lot of creative stuff…you have art class with Mavis, right?" Jack asked seeming interested. They did have art class with Mavis, and Hiccup had admired the black-haired girls paintings several times, although her style was very different from his own. Where Hiccup usually painted and sketched dragons, landscapes and other surroundings and the people he cared about, Mavis seemed to focus on painting everyday situations like students eating in the Great Hall or sitting by the lake studying. Or maybe that was just what she preferred to paint in class. After all, he hadn't seen any of the work she'd done outside of school.

"Yeah…we both like to paint and sketch a lot, but Rapunzel is talented in more areas than me…she also does sculptures and plays several instruments…and knits as you can see" he said and motioned to the green scarf around his neck. "But painting and sketching is definitely something we both enjoy a lot".

"That's really cool. I wish I had some creative talent, but I can only draw stick figures" Jack admitted and shrugged in some weird kind of acceptance of his lack of creativity.

Hiccup smiled at the white-haired Gryffindor and then trained his green eyes on the parchment in his lap once again. The paper rested on top of a book, so he could easily and steadily write on it, without making the letters all wobbly and uneven. He bit his lower lip as he considered if they should add more on the discovery of the basilisk, when something small hit him on his cheek. He looked down in confusion and saw a small paper-ball lying in his lap.

He whipped his head up and caught the mischievous spark of a certain pair of ice-blue eyes. Jack was smirking, while his hands were focused on creating more of those annoying paper-balls.

"Jack" he groaned. "We need to focus on this" he argued, but somehow he already knew that it would be in vain. Jack wasn't the type to stay focused for long periods of time.

"Awww, come on Hic" Jack whined and pouted. "Can't we just take a break for a while? We've been at it for an hour and a half now. My brain needs to rest"

Hiccup chuckled at Jacks child-like demeanor. Maybe it _was _time for a break. They had progressed quite nicely on the assignment, and had actually managed to get five pages written already, so it wouldn't hurt to relax just a little bit. Jack had been quite attentive and focused, much to Hiccups surprise, but it seemed that the white-haired boy had reached his limit now.

"If you put away those paper-balls, we can take a break" Hiccup negotiated, holding a hand up in warning. He did not feel like being attacked by a playful Gryffindor with parchment ammunition.

Jack smirked and then quickly pouted. "Fine" he sighed and put the small crumbled paper-ball he was currently making down with the others in a small pile. Then he met Hiccups eyes once again and smiled friendly.

"Want to play truth or dare?" Jack asked playfully, smirking that challenging smirk of his.

"By Odin, no!" Hiccup exclaimed with wide eyes. Oh no, there was no way in Hel that he would ever do that. What were they, first years? He really did _not_ want to play truth or dare. He hated that game already, and the last person he would play it with was Jack – a challenging, mischievous, devious boy who could probably come up with the most embarrassing questions and dares in existence. There was no way he was going to fall into that gronckle-trap.

Jack seemed amused by his desperate refusal. He beamed at Hiccup in some kind of evil triumph, and Hiccup dreaded what was coming next.

"Oh really? Why not?" Jack asked sounding overly innocent, as if he couldn't possibly imagine what Hiccups reasons could be. He knew though…that devious snowcone knew, Hiccup thought to himself and chuckled on the inside. Well, two could play that game.

"Let's see…" Hiccup rubbed his chin, casting his eyes upwards to the sky, as if he was in deep contemplation. "Maybe because you're the personification of evil?" he deadpanned while dropping his hand down and training his eyes on Jack once again.

"Ouch, you really know how to break a man's heart, Hic" Jack said in mock hurt, clutching his chest for dramatic effect and looking defeated. Hiccup smirked at the other boy's acting.

"Yes, I'm a real heartbreaker" Hiccup replied sarcastically while rolling his eyes. He then proceeded to fiddle with the corner of the parchment in his lap, slightly bending it back and forth. It had some kind of calming effect on him.

"Well, you are now actually" Jack declared cheekily, and Hiccup tore his eyes away from the parchment to focus on the boy in front of him, who was watching him with amusement.

Hiccup shrugged and broke eye contact once again. "It doesn't matter" he simply said to quickly dismiss the subject. As Jack probably knew by now, he didn't like all the attention and adoration he had suddenly become the object of. None of these people cared about him before, but now that he was a dragon trainer, everyone wanted a piece of him. Hiccup understood that it was a natural human response to be drawn towards people, who had achieved something interesting, but it still didn't quell that hint of annoyance he felt, whenever some strange girl who would have never given him the time of day before handed him a flirty note or some boy wanted to ask him about the dragons. He always made sure to be polite in his refusals, but these strangers were regularly invading his personal bubble and he wasn't too fond of it. He didn't handle strangers or many people at once very well.

"If you say so" Jack merely replied and shrugged his shoulders, and Hiccup was relieved that the other teen dropped the subject without discussion. He didn't really feel like talking about this, especially not with someone he barely knew.

"So…Can I ask you something about the whole…Viking thing?" Jack asked curiously and scratched the back of his head. Then he dropped his arm again and let his elbows rest on his knees.

"Sure?" Hiccup replied neutrally. As long as Jack didn't ask about the dragons, he didn't mind telling him a little about his culture and his home.

"What's it like? Where you're from?"

"Well…It's an island called Berk. Like I told you yesterday, it's in the barbaric archipelago in Scandinavia. It's not the biggest island there, but there's plenty of beautiful nature…rocky hills, waterwalls, steep cliffs, a few beaches, large forests…It's cold most of the year and winter is brutal with freezing storms and huge amounts of snow. You'd probably love that" he explained while pointing to Jack, and the pale Gryffindor smirked in confirmation. "Everyone lives in the main village except for a few, who like to stay somewhere more remote on the island. All buildings are made of wood and besides the houses, there's the Great Hall where people hang out at night and gets something to eat and drink, unless they prefer to do that in their own home, Gobbers forge where I worked for a while as I told you, the docks, the academy, and the healers house. Like I told you, it's pretty much a timewarp" Hiccup finished explaining, having deliberately left out that the academy was a dragon training academy. There was way in Hel he would be sharing that kind of information.

"Yeah, but that's pretty fascinating actually. And besides…the wizarding world is also sort of old fashioned. I mean, wizards don't watch TV or use the internet or anything like that, that's strictly a muggle thing…I actually kind of miss TV sometimes" Jack said almost longingly.

"Yeah…I guess it's sort of the reversed situation for the two of us…To you, the wizarding world is old fashioned, to me it's actually more modern than where I come from".

"True…I just can't seem to wrap my head around it….You guys live completely isolated from everyone else?"

"Well, yeah. Pretty much. The only real connection with the world outside the other tribes in the archipelago is the trading with the Wizarding community".

"Trading?" Jack asked in obvious confusion, furrowing his brow.

"Mostly certain herbs and insects that are used for potions and such" Hiccup explained, gesturing with his hands to supplement his words.

"Makes sense…but what do you for fun then? There can't be a whole lot to do?" the pale boy sitting in front of him asked, and Hiccup caught himself thinking that naturally Jack would ask about that.

A faint smirk spread across his lips. "Oh, there's plenty to do." He said vaguely, and he could tell that Jack was confused by his statement, as his blue eyes seemed to be analyzing his reply. He wasn't about to elaborate on it, though, which the Gryffindor seemed to accept after a few seconds of silence.

"I'll take your word for it then." Jack said casually and shrugged. "What are the other Vikings like? I imagine them being more like Astrid than you and Fishlegs?"

"You'd be right in that assumption. Me and Fishlegs are both pretty atypical Vikings in our own ways. Most Vikings are not just huge, but incredibly tough and fierce. They feel things strongly, but they rarely show their emotions openly at all. Emotions are a private matter among Vikings. They're probably the most resilient people though…able to adapt to pretty much anything…harsh climate…war with other tribes…dragon attacks, and now peace…" Hiccup replied gently, as the images of the other Vikings on Berk flashed in his mind. He was grateful that they had been so eager to live in peace with the dragons after his battle with the Red Death, and now practically everyone had a dragon as their own best friend. It had showed him a whole new side of many of the tough, closed off Vikings. They were obviously still the stubborn, tenacious warriors they had always been, but caring for a dragon left a soft spot in all of them, and he had seen several Vikings show a deep kindness and affection towards their dragon that he hadn't even seen them show to the people in their life. The dragons really had changed everything back home for the better.

"I'm sorry if it's too personal, but have you ever experienced a war?" Jack suddenly inquired, and observed him with genuine curiosity. The pale boy tapped a little with his pale fingers on the massive black book lying next to him, while Hiccup took a few seconds to get over his slight surprise at being asked that question.

"No. Luckily I haven't" he replied quietly.

A moment of silence descended between them, and Hiccup decided that break time was over.

"Let's get on with this" he told Jack with a polite smile and motioned to the parchment resting on his legs. The pale Gryffindor nodded in acceptance and shot him a little smile of his own, before the two students once again focused on their assignment.

~~~~ Jack ~~~~

The Ravenclaw was still busy scribbling down the last of their workload for today. Jack remembered Hiccups words, as he looked at the boy's left foot. Well, it wasn't an actual foot anymore but some kind of prosthetic although he had never seen it, as it was always covered by trousers and a shoe. Hiccup didn't seem affected by it on an everyday basis, and Jack couldn't remember having ever seen him limp or seem pained in any way, and had never overheard him complain about it either. There must be some pain once in a while though. It was impossible to lose a limb and not experience any discomfort at all, right? Jack really couldn't imagine losing a foot, the thought almost made him sick to his stomach. He would definitely have a hard time accepting something like that.

"Jack, why are you staring at my foot?" a familiar slightly nasal voice suddenly said. It didn't sound annoyed or distressed but Jack immediately cringed. He hadn't even heard the brunet stop writing, and now he had been caught staring at his missing leg. Well, this was pretty embarrassing. An amputee probably didn't appreciate it, when people observed their lack of limbs, as if it was something to be studied. Now he needed to reassure Hiccup that he wasn't some kind of insensitive jerk.

"I'm sorry Hiccup, I didn't mean to stare or anything" Jack quickly said, feeling like he had just made a huge mistake. He was hoping the Ravenclaw wouldn't be upset about it. He slowly lifted his head and met Hiccups green eyes. The other boy didn't look uncomfortable or angry with him in any way, which made him feel relieved. However, he was observing him again silently with those analyzing green eyes, as if he could somehow read Jacks mind, and that made him uneasy. It briefly reminded Jack of Astrid, whose eyes also seemed to have that quality, when she was observing someone, but where her intense gaze was threatening, this one was curious and searching, as if the boy it belonged to was trying to figure out a puzzle.

Jack did not like the silence that was passing between them, and he was about to open his mouth again, when Hiccup beat him to it.

"It's fine Jack. Don't worry about it" the brunet Viking boy said reassuringly, not sounding the least bit irritated or nervous. Jack searched those observant eyes briefly, but saw nothing in them that pointed to the contrary, so he accepted that Hiccup in fact wasn't affected by his staring. He still felt like a jerk though.

"I was just…wondering if it still hurts sometimes?" Jack asked in a quiet and careful way that he knew was out of character for him. He wanted to approach this subject gently though. He didn't know the boy in front of him very well yet, and there was no telling, whether Hiccup would be reluctant to tell him more about his missing foot.

A look of surprise flashed across Hiccups features, before his face was once again seemingly neutral. He appeared to consider his answer for a few moments, those green eyes looking over the shimmering surface of the lake, before turning back to meet Jacks gaze once again.

"It still hurts sometimes, yes" Hiccup confirmed in a calm voice, tapping a little with two fingers on the place where the prosthetic was hidden beneath his black pants. "There are good days and bad days. For the most part, it's okay during the day, but it hurts in the evening, in the place where the prosthetic meets the rest of the leg" he continued to explain.

Jack felt a sympathetic pang in his chest. It must be difficult losing a limb in the first place, but also having to live with pain for the rest of your life…that must be frustrating. He felt renewed admiration for the brainy Ravenclaw sitting in front of him. He had not only lost his foot and managed to accept that and move past it, but he lived with the pain without showing any signs of it – at least to anyone who wasn't close to him. Granted, Jack had no idea how bad the pain was or how often it happened, but it was still pretty impressive.

"I'm sorry Hiccup" Jack said genuinely. He really was sorry, he thought to himself. It hardly seemed fair that a teenager should lose something as important as a limb.

Hiccup gave him a quick smile in return and shook his head slowly. Jack kept his eye on those two small braids among the mess of brown hair for a few seconds.

"It's fine" he said and waved his hand in a dismissive gesture. Jack wondered if that was Hiccups usual response to all his troubles, just accepting it and moving on like it was no big deal.

"Well, it's not really…you're in pain?" Jack asked curiously, tilting his head of snow-white hair a little in a questioning manner.

The brunet shrugged. "I can live with pain".

Jack was surprised that Hiccup seemed so accepting of this. It appeared almost…dismissive. As if his pain and the trauma he'd been through wasn't really worth discussing.

"Huh" Jack said in a surprised tone, mimicking Hiccups own reaction, when he had told him he was interested in mythology.

"What?" Hiccup asked, keeping his analyzing eyes trained on Jack, his face in perfectly neutral folds.

"It's just…surprising…that you can accept pain just like that, as a natural part of your life. I've never even seen the slightest sign that you've been in pain" Jack admitted and ran a hand through his spiky white hair in one swift movement.

"There's always more" Hiccup replied quietly with a soft look in his eyes.

This left Jack feeling very confused. What on earth did he mean by that? Was Jack supposed to understand it? Oh well, he was going to have to ask, because he had no idea what it meant. Something about the other boy's tone of voice and the gentle but careful look in his eyes indicated that the words were filled with hidden meaning, and Jack wanted to understand that meaning.

"What do you mean by that?" Jack asked seriously. He kept his eyes focused on the brunet in front of him, as Hiccup seemed to hesitate for a few moments, maybe considering whether or not he wanted to elaborate.

"There's always more" the Ravenclaw repeated softly. "There's always more to people underneath that first layer that everyone sees…the one consisting of looks, body language, friends, hobbies, family…even which House you're in...those things that create first impressions, prejudice, rumors…The things that make people think they have some idea of who a person is, even if they don't know them at all…All Ravenclaws are clever bookworms, all Gryffindors are brave and impulsive, all Hufflepuffs are friendly and accepting and all Slytherins are cunning and self-serving. Those are some of the ideas that are mindlessly repeated, because it's comfortable and safe to sort people into neat little boxes, so we don't have to worry about actually figuring them out. The problem is that people are complex…they don't fit into categories as neatly as our minds want them to. Not everyone in Hufflepuff are nice people, not everyone in Slytherin are manipulative jerks. There's always more to a person underneath the surface that can shake someone's entire view of them…I'm well aware that other students have always thought they knew exactly what kind of person I was, but there's plenty of things they don't know and won't ever know".

Jack was listening intently as the words flowed easily from the Viking boy's mouth. He found himself agreeing with Hiccups words, and now his surprise of the other teen's tolerance of pain seemed a little shallow. Of course Jack knew that there was more to people than what meets the eye, but as Hiccup had reminded him with his calm, collected words, it was human to categorize others, to see them as simple beings that you believe you understood, even though you hadn't even scratched the surface. There was definitely a lot more to the brunet Ravenclaw in front of him, than what everyone had previously thought, Jack was thinking with a smirk. He wondered what other surprises would spill out, if he got to know Hiccup better.

"You're right…and trust me, not all Gryffindors are brave" Jack commented with a smirk on his face, causing Hiccup to smile hesitantly back at him. There were definitely some scaredy-cats in Jacks own house despite the reputation of being the nest of the courageous, and unfortunately there were also a few jerks. "That was pretty insightful, Hiccup" he continued with genuine warmth in his voice and tilted his head slightly, while still observing the green-eyed teen sitting across from him.

"I have my moments" the brunet said casually, while leaning back on the oak tree he was sitting in front of. He watched Hiccup as he looked up into the sky and seemed to be contemplating something. The sun was beginning to slowly retreat, and the two boys' surroundings were bathed in a mild glow.

"You sure do" Jack replied sincerely. He could have easily shot a cheeky comment back at the Ravenclaw, but right now he wanted to let him know that he had actually given him something to think about.

The brunets lips quirked upwards and he seemed somewhat entertained by Jacks comment, although he didn't reply but just kept watching the sky. Jack studied him for a little while. He really had grown up in the last two years. This mature teenager in front of him was a stark contrast to the small, scrawny Hiccup he had seen just a year ago. He watched the other teen's brown locks being ruffled by the mild breeze, and the two small braids swaying gently in the wind.

Jacks thoughts were interrupted suddenly by Hiccup himself, who quickly got to his feet. He began packing parchment, quill and the textbook into his black satchel. When he had put the items in place, he met Jacks gaze and gave him a small smile.

"Well Jack, it's getting late, dinner is starting soon" Hiccup stated, and Jack thought of how quickly the time had passed.

"You're right, we should get back" he answered, and quickly stood up, one of his feet mildly numb from sitting in the same position for a long time. He gathered his own things and threw them into his grey backpack, not at all as careful with his stuff was Hiccup apparently was. He slung the backpack over one shoulder and turned to face the other boy, who smirked at him in obvious amusement.

"Is that your usual way of packing stuff?" the Ravenclaw inquired, one eyebrow raised.

"Well yeah, it is. Very time-efficient" Jack replied, giving the other boy a grin.

"I can see that" Hiccup said calmly but with that slight hint of amusement in his voice.

With that, they both started to walk together side by side towards the Great Hall. The sun had now almost set, and darkness was beginning to descend upon them. They strolled in companionable silence, or at least what Jack would describe as such. He found himself wondering if Hiccup actually found the silence awkward. He glanced sideways to the teen walking next to him, but Hiccup didn't appear uncomfortable.

When they reached the doors of the Great Hall, Jack stopped and turned to Hiccup, who had also halted his movements.

"So, when are we going to meet up again?" Jack asked casually.

The brunet chewed on his bottom lip for a brief moment as if considering something, before he replied.

"Hmm…I'm done with classes at 4 tomorrow?" he said questioningly.

"Great, so am I…wait, that's not so weird actually, we have our last class of the day together" Jack thought out loud and shot Hiccup a small smile.

"Oh right, I forgot" Hiccup said, smacking his forehead gently with one hand. Jack grinned at the gesture.

"Okay, so let's just get together after class?"

"Sure. See you tomorrow then Jack" Hiccup said and gave him a small wave, before he began walking towards the Ravenclaw table to join Fishlegs and Rapunzel, who were already sitting there engaged in some conversation.

"See you" Jack called out, before he too approached his own house table. He quickly spotted the three familiar forms of his closest friends, and slumped down on the bench next to Mavis.

"Hi guys" he beamed at them and they all greeted him warmly in return, except for Merida whose mouth was full of chicken, but she nodded eagerly at him, and he understood what she meant. It didn't make it less amusing though. Dinner was essentially uneventful, although Jack always immensely enjoyed being among his friends. They told each other about their day, well, the parts they hadn't been together for, they exchanged complains about homework and they made each other laugh with comfortable and familiar banter. Once in a while Jack glanced at Hiccup sitting at the Ravenclaw table with Fishlegs and Rapunzel. The brown-haired teen seemed so comfortable around them. He was deeply engulfed in conversation with them, laughing genuinely and unrestrained at their witty remarks, as if all the teen's defense mechanisms simply melted away and they got to see everything underneath. Jack felt that he had seen a sliver of that Hiccup today, and he was secretly hoping that he would get to see more that person in time. There was definitely something about the guy that was anything but ordinary, and Jack found that intriguing.

~~~~ Hiccup ~~~~

After his nightly flying trip with Toothless, Hiccup had once again made it unseen to the Ravenclaw common room. It had been a long day of classes, talking, studying with Jack and of course flying, and now he felt his eyelids begin to droop and his legs become heavier. He was definitely ready to get some sleep. He walked upstairs slowly on the old, creaking staircase and approached his bed. He very carefully began to remove his leather and metal armor, piece by piece and placing it in the small chest that he kept under the bed. As usual he didn't wake any of the others and thank Thor for that. He wasn't sure how he was going to explain standing in the dormitory in the middle of the night wearing armor. Fishlegs, Rapunzel and the professors were the only one at the castle except him who knew that Toothless was here, and he definitely wanted to keep it that way. When he had silently and slowly removed all his armor, he changed into an oversized, green t-shirt and some pyjama bottoms, and folded his other clothes on the chair next to his bed.

Out of the corner of his eye, he suddenly noticed his satchel that was sitting on the floor next to his nightstand. It had a note pinned to it. He certainly hadn't noticed that, when he had thrown it there. He approached it, curiously looking at the note. When he removed the small piece of paper from the satchel and unfolded it, a message was scrambled down with very uneven, red letters that almost looked like they were written in blood:

"Jack's dead. You're next. Love, Moth."

Hiccup laughed, but quickly tried to get himself under control, as he still didn't want to wake the others. He shook his head in equal amounts of amusement and disbelief. Jack was truly one insane individual.


	5. Unnoticed attraction

**Author's note:** So, here's the new chapter. It's almost just as long as the last one, which I hope you'll think is a positive thing :D

A few quick remarks on this chapter:

- There will be a few words in old norse. In future chapters there will be a lot more old norse, as Hiccup and Fishlegs use it once in a while. The words will always be translated in an authors note at the end of the chapter. All words that are translated are marked with an * in the text itself. Old norse was divided in two main dialects, but speakers of the dialects easily understood it each other. Therefore, I won't differentiate in this story between the dialects, as it's difficult enough to find good sources on old norse in the first place :)  
>- The Vikings are not celebrating Snoggletog in this story but Jól, which was what the Vikings actually celebrated in the winter. Being Scandinavian myself I've grown up with stories about our Viking ancestors, so I'd like to use that background in this story :)<p>

~~~~ Jack ~~~~

The noise of the students in the Great Hall eagerly talking, joking and laughing, the clinking of cutlery and the scraping of trays and plates across wooden tables was deafening, bouncing off the old castle walls and incasing him in a blanket of sound. He really didn't appreciate how the intrusive noises were creating an oncoming headache and he rubbed his temples a few times in a futile effort to relieve some of the strain. Jack really wasn't a morning person, and the loud buzzing was invading that air of soft, peaceful drowsiness that overtook him every morning and that he both loved and loathed. On one hand, his sleepiness was soothing and comforting, as it made the world seem much simpler. When you were truly drowsy, you just didn't care about many of the tiny little things that would usually occupy your mind. On the other hand, it was such a chore to get out of bed each morning, getting dressed and going to the Great Hall. It actually took a serious amount of effort on Jack's part.

It always took some time for him to truly wake up and this morning was no exception. He was currently sticking his fork in and out repeatedly in a muffin, slowly stabbing the poor piece of baked goods to death. Well, if it hadn't already been quite dead. Jack didn't know everything, but he was pretty sure that muffins didn't have souls. He then snorted to himself, while briefly entertaining the idea of living muffins and for some reason they were dancing around with top hats on. His sleepy mind created the best images sometimes. He cast a quick glance at the Ravenclaw table, where Hiccup, Fishlegs and Rapunzel were chatting excitedly about something that he couldn't hear. They seemed way too rested at this ungodly hour. Oh well…his first class of the day was Transfiguration, so he could talk to Hiccup again then. He wasn't quite sure what it was about the brunet Ravenclaw, but Jack knew that he wanted to spend more time with him. He had been surprised to learn that Hiccup was actually an inventor and that he could build weapons. That was genuinely impressive. Not to mention cool. How many people could do that? Not many, Jack thought to himself. Apparently the Ravenclaw's intelligence was not limited to academic achievements.

Jack's thoughts were interrupted as the familiar sounds of hooting owls filled the Great Hall, and he smiled warmly to himself. He loved receiving mail from his family, and even though he couldn't be sure there would be anything for him today, he was hoping there would be. His eyes lit up as he spotted his grey owl flying towards him, and as it passed him, it dropped a letter into his hands. Jack immediately recognized the purple envelope with unicorns on it, and he was already excited to find out how Emma was doing. He noticed that Mavis, Flynn and Merida had each received letters as well, and were already busy taking in the words written on the pages. He ripped open the envelope without hesitation and unfolded the piece of paper within, his blue eyes quickly scanning the parchment.

He was relieved to find that Emma was doing just fine. Her first day of school had been going well, and there was a new girl in her class that she was trying to make friends with, because she shared Emma's love of unicorns and fairies. She also mentioned getting detention yesterday, which caused Jack to frown, especially since she didn't mention why. He'd have to ask her in his next letter. She told him to say hello to his friends from her and that she hoped they'd be over for a few days during the Christmas holidays as always. She ended the letter with confessing that she already missed him a lot, and Jack felt a familiar squeezing sensation in his chest. He really missed her as well.

They'd been together all summer and he'd been overjoyed to be around her again. They'd played together every day, enjoying the long days of summer sun and laughter. Every night Jack had read her a bedtime story, before tucking her in and kissing her goodnight on the forehead. He missed all of that.

"How's Emma doing?" he heard Mavis gentle voice ask from next to him, and he trained his eyes on his black-haired friend, as he briefly explained what Emma had written.

"That's nice" Mavis said genuinely and smiled warmly. "Say hi to her from us as well". Jack nodded in response. He would do that when he'd send his next letter.

He remained mostly quiet for the rest of breakfast, only occasionally throwing in a funny comment about whatever his friends were discussing. This was fairly common though, since Jack was not happy about getting up early, so no one questioned it. He felt like a zombie in the morning…like some half-sleeping tourist in a world full of chipper, awoken people that were way too well-rested and eager to talk. It was more than just difficult for him to get up in the morning. He absolutely despised that moment, where he had to throw his blanket off, sit up and let his feet touch the coldness of the wooden floorboards, leaving his safe haven of warmth and dreams underneath the blanket and the softness of his madras, letting the cold, brisk air of morning chase away all the comforts of the sleeping world. Jack usually didn't mind the cold at all, he actually loved it, but morning was a rare exception to this rule.

Jack was also a snoozer. He always tried to get just a few minutes more sleep, and in their first year at Hogwarts, this had landed him quite a number of detentions as he was often late for class. Since then Flynn had taken it upon himself to get Jack out of bed on time, no matter what. This had proven quite a challenge for the handsome brown-haired teen. Jack never cooperated, so after a few attempts of diplomatic solutions that had failed, Flynn had thrown a bucket of water in his face, drenching his safe haven in the icy fluid, causing his body to gasp for air at the shock of the sudden intrusive cold. Flynn had not been popular with Jack that morning, but since then an understanding had formed between them. Flynn gave Jack two chances of getting out of bed in the morning and if he didn't listen, the other teen was allowed to use other, more persuasive measures. That threat looming over Jack's head was usually enough to get him to force himself out of bed at Flynn's second attempt.

When Jack and his friends got up from their seats and picked up their bags to head towards their classes, Hiccup, Rapunzel and Fishlegs were already gone. Typical Ravenclaws Jack thought. They obviously wanted to get to their classes early, so they were absolutely certain that they would be on time. Not like Gryffindors. They usually just go with the flow, getting in the classroom with only a few minutes to spare.

Transfiguration was usually one of Jack's favorite classes, but he did not appreciate it today seeing as it was the first class of the morning and he was still feeling very tired and zombie-like. It had helped a little to get some warm tea and pancakes in his belly and listening to Merida and Flynn's banter on who was secretly sexually attracted to who, but he still didn't feel quite awake yet as he and Flynn were making their way through the large old corridors brimming with busy students and their noisy chatter, heading to the classroom. Luckily Flynn was used to his zombie-ness in the morning, so he didn't try to strike up conversation.

When they had entered the large oval classroom and finding Hiccup already sitting there, next to his blonde friend with the incredibly long, golden hair, Jack seemed to feel a little more revitalized.

"Mornin' Hickey, mornin' Rapunzel" He said with a cheerful smile as he slumped down on a chair next to the sarcastic Viking.

Hiccup's green eyes immediately widened for a few seconds, and Jack's face instantly split into a huge, bright grin at the brunet's obvious distress. His shocked expression was truly hilarious. The Ravenclaw lifted his hand and pointed a determined finger straight at Jack.

"No" he said firmly, not wanting to leave room for discussion. "No. Just no. No" he continued to insist, as he lowered his arm again.

"What?" Jack asked innocently, his eyebrows raised in a questioning way.

"No, Jack. That's not going to be a whole thing now" the Viking boy said, shaking his head.

"You don't like your new nickname?"

"Oh _hell_ no" the Ravenclaw emphasized and crossed his arms defiantly.

That outburst caused Jack to beam in amusement, and Rapunzel giggled next to the brunet, who shot her a silencing glare.

"Fine, Hic. But only because I'm such a terribly nice guy"

Hiccup scoffed and uncrossed his arms again. "You're devil spawn"

"Only when I want to have some fun" Jack smirked, causing Hiccup to shake his head and Flynn and Rapunzel to chuckle slightly.

"So anyway, my mum and dad told me that they've actually hung up the painting you did for them in the livingroom" Rapunzel told Hiccup enthusiastically, getting back to the conversation they were apparently having before Jack and Flynn arrived. "They really love it"

Hiccup's eyes softened at the blonde girl's news. "That's great. I'm glad they like it"

"What's this about a painting?" Jack asked, interrupting the two Ravenclaws' conversation. He didn't like not knowing exactly what other people were talking about. It was a slightly childish trait of his, but he kind of appreciated his natural curiosity, even if some people claimed it was impatient or rude.

"Hiccup and Fishlegs spent some time at my house in the summer and Hiccup did a beautiful painting of me and Pascal watching the sunset" the bubbly Ravenclaw explained.

"Pascal?"

"My chameleon" Rapunzel replied and reached into her bag. When her hands retracted again, a small green reptile sat gently in one of her palms. Jack and Flynn eyed the small animal with genuine interest. Jack had seen the chameleon a few times, but never up close like this.

"Wow, he's cute" Flynn said, earning him a warm smile from the golden-haired Ravenclaw.

"Yeah" Jack quickly agreed, nodding. "Hey little guy, how are you doing this fine morning?" Jack asked softly to not somehow scare the creature and slowly reached a finger towards the little green reptile to see if he could touch him.

"It's okay Pascal, he's friendly" Rapunzel told Pascal, as the small animal had eyed Jack with suspicion. Its features seemed to relax at Rapunzel's comment. Jack found himself thinking how strange it was that a chameleon could seem almost human in its expressions the way Pascal did right now. The reptile let Jack stroke him softly with one pale finger, feeling the rough scales underneath his soft skin, as Pascal closed his eyes at the touch.

"He likes you" Rapunzel said happily, observing Jack and her pet.

"Well I like him too. He seems…almost human?" Jack replied in genuine curiosity, as he furrowed his brow slightly.

Hiccup snorted. "You have no idea".

"What?" He asked the brunet curiously.

"Sometimes we've seriously wondered if Pascal is actually an Animagus because he's so intelligent and seems to understand everything that goes on. He's also fiercely protective of Rapunzel, and don't be fooled by his small size…he can bite pretty hard". Huh. There was definitely a story behind that comment, Jack thought.

"Sounds like you speak from experience?" Jack told him with a smirk, encouraging Hiccup to tell him more about it.

"Oh yes…When we were in our first year and just getting to know each other, I stumbled on a treeroot and took Rapunzel down with me. Apparently Pascal thought I was some psychopath attacking her, so he bit my finger really hard. It was blue for like a week"

Rapunzel giggled at the memory, and Jack and Flynn both grinned widely. "No way…the Viking was defeated by a chameleon?" Jack said with amusement. He was definitely filing that information away in his brain for later use. He would find some way to throw it in Hiccup's face in one of their banter-battles.

"Whoa whoa whoa…." Hiccup objected, holding up a hand in obvious protest. "First of all, I was 11. Second of all, a blue finger hardly counts as defeat".

"Sounds to me like the reptile got you pretty good" Flynn joked.

"Yeah, what do you know, Flynn? Vikings can be taken down by small, scaly animals. Definitely something to keep in mind" Jack said teasingly, trying to push Hiccup's buttons.

"We can _not_" Hiccup argued and rolled his eyes, a ghost of a smile quirking the corners of his lips upwards. Jack had come to really enjoy those tiny signs of the brunet's amusement.

"Oh yes you can…and now…we know your weakness" Jack said darkly, rubbing his hands together in a sinister I'm-an-evil-genius-putting-together-a-horrifying-scheme gesture. Well, he _was _an evil genius, everyone knew that.

Hiccup scoffed. "I have no weaknesses, I'm a perfect example of raw, brutal Vikingness that can never be contained" he said in mock arrogance, as if the prospect of having any kind of weaknesses was truly ridiculous, since Vikings were obviously invincible. Rapunzel shook her head slowly in in amusement, a small giggle escaping her lips.

"Now that's just not true. I'm obviously your weakness with my terribly good looks and amazing personality" Jack said confidently and wagged his eyebrows suggestively, trying to get Hiccup to become flustered.

Hiccup rolled his eyes. Damn it, it didn't work Jack thought to himself. "Well, if you're my weakness, then I should get you out of the way, shouldn't I?" he asked and gave Jack an evil smirk.

"As if the world would keep spinning without all of this" he replied and gestured to himself. He heard Flynn snicker next to him.

"We'll just have to wait and see when I end you"

"You would never do that"

"Oh wouldn't I?"

"Nope, you'd never have the guts to do something like that"

"You use the word 'never' quite strongly" Hiccup said in amusement, one eyebrow raised.

"You don't know what I'm capable of" he finished sinisterly and narrowed his eyes a little in a threatening manner. It was seriously too amusing to watch Hiccup, when he was trying to be dark, as it was so completely out of character for him.

As Jack was about to throw a clever retort back in the Ravenclaws' face, two Ravenclaw girls that Jack didn't know but vaguely recognized walked past their table, obviously heading to some of the free seats. They giggled after saying "Hi Hiccup" in unison, the adoration evident in their voices. Jack watched as Hiccup squirmed slightly in his seat and mumbled an unenthusiastic "hi" in response, not meeting the two girls' eyes. Jack felt an amused smirk grace his lips, as he kept his eyes on the awkward Viking boy next to him. The girls giggled even more in response and walked away with their arms linked. They slumped down on some seats a couple of tables in front of the four teens.

Jack nudged the Viking's shoulder teasingly. "What's up, Hic? Can't handle the fangirls?"

Hiccup groaned, which only widened Jack's grin. "I don't _want_ fangirls"

"Well, too bad, cause you've got 'em. No getting rid of them now" Jack said cheekily and patted the Ravenclaw's back a few times.

"Don't they have like a nest somewhere, so you can take them all out at once?" Hiccup joked.

"Aww, that's cold, Hic. I kind of like them…"

"Of course you do, Jack"

Transfiguration was essentially a dull affair, except for the friendly banter between the two Gryffindors and the two Ravenclaws. As professor Hyde did a brief introduction to the spell they were going to practice today, Jack glanced to the notes Hiccup was eagerly scribbling down on a piece of parchment, his quill tracing smooth, steady lines. Huh. He was left-handed. Jack hadn't noticed that before. He took a closer look at the notes and realized that they were written in runes. This caused a small smile to grace his lips. Well, that was interesting. It was actually kind of fascinating watching the brunet quickly and easily write the strange markings.

After the basic introduction, they were asked to proceed to applying the spell practically. "Avis" was used to conjure birds but it was a difficult spell to get right, seeing as conjuring something from thin air was one of the most advanced things to learn in Transfiguration.

During their practicing, Jack found that Rapunzel was actually quite fun to tease as well, and she managed to throw some pretty witty replies back in his face, earning her several chuckles from Flynn and Hiccup. As they chitchatted between taking turns on trying to conjure the little feathery creatures, he also came to know that Rapunzel was adopted just like himself, which had taken him by surprise. She seemed to be just as relaxed and open about it as he was, which was a relief, as the subject could definitely be a touchy affair for some people. He learned that she was an only child just like Hiccup, and that her parents had become very fond of her two Ravenclaw friends, insisting that they visited a couple of days every year during the summer and the Christmas holidays. Hiccup continued to explain that it was the only experience that he and Fishlegs really had with the modern, muggle world and how Rapunzel had introduced them to TV and movies, the internet, modern music and so on. Jack found it quite amusing to consider the two Vikings experiencing these things for the first time ever, as it had been a natural part of his own life. When Jack asked if Rapunzel had been to Berk, Hiccup explained that she hadn't but that they wanted her to come visit in December, if the time was right. What that meant, Jack had no idea but he didn't question it.

After class, Rapunzel left the three guys, as she needed to go to her Magical History class, while they had Potions next. As the two Gryffindors and one Ravenclaw made their way through one of the old stone corridors towards the dungeons, Jack casually swung his arm around Hiccup's shoulder and rested it there, feeling the soft black fabric of the brunet's robes against his hand. It was just a simple friendly gesture, but for some reason he felt the touch spark an unfamiliar warmth through his fingers that he couldn't explain. It was nice though…in a strange, intangible, inexplicable way that he couldn't grasp. At the first touch Hiccup flinched a little, obviously not expecting that kind of familiarity. His green eyes turned towards Jack, questioning him silently, his brow furrowed slightly in obvious confusion, as they continued to stroll down the passageway. Jack flashed him a bright grin in response, wanting to ease the Ravenclaw's obvious awkwardness with the situation. He was just being friendly with Hiccup, but he was well aware that the brunet was a guarded and introverted person, so he needed to make him comfortable. His own casualness regarding the sudden closeness seemed to work as Hiccup appeared to relax, his shoulders becoming less tense and his green eyes trained ahead once more, instead of analyzing Jack quietly. If Hiccup had seemed to genuinely mind the friendly gesture, he would respect that and back off, but Hiccup didn't ask him to remove his arm or slipped out of his grasp, so he just continued to walk beside him, one arm casually slung around the guy's shoulder.

As he made eye contact with Flynn, his friend shot him a curious look, his brown eyes questioning what Jack was doing and why. Not that Jack could blame him. He wasn't completely certain of his motivations himself. With the exception of Flynn, he didn't usually become all touchy with guy friends and acquaintances. Somehow though, he hadn't even thought about it, as he reached out towards the brunet. It had just been instinctual and it wasn't until the action was finalized and Hiccup was observing him questioningly with those green eyes that he thought he might have done something that could be considered weird or inappropriate. Not that he cared too much about that kind of thing. He usually just went with his gut, and he didn't want to be held back by norms or other people's opinions. Who cares if someone finds something you do weird? Being weird is definitely the sign of a great person in Jack's opinion. Ordinary is dull, predictable, unadventurous. Maybe that was why he had taken such an immediate liking to Hiccup, as the Ravenclaw was pretty much anything but ordinary.

As the three teens continued towards their destination through the old stone halls brimming with other students on their way to classes, Jack noticed the curious glances others were throwing them. Not that he was surprised. He and Hiccup didn't usually hang out, and right now they were walking closely together with Jack's arm slung around the Ravenclaw's shoulder like they'd been friends for a long time. It probably looked very strange to others. As they passed a group of three Gryffindor girls a few years younger than Jack and his friends, the girls observed Hiccup and Jack with large, curious eyes. Jack trained his blue gaze on them and gave them a cheeky wink, causing all of them to immediately look away with a lovely blush on their cheeks. He chuckled to himself, and Hiccup looked at him with confusion in his eyes. Apparently he hadn't noticed Jack's little attempt to embarrass the girls. Oh well.

~~~~ Jack ~~~~

Merida was already close to being at the end of her rope. This was a double Potions class, and Jack could tell that the red-head was seriously considering writing a suicide note. She had smacked her face straight unto the workstation, completely ignoring the shot of pain that was sure to follow that kind of impact, and now she was unmoving, keeping her face flat on the wooden surface, her wild red hair covering any sign it. Jack smiled softly to himself as he reached out and rubbed some soothing circles on her back, feeling the soft black fabric of her robes and the warmth from her body beneath his fingertips.

"Come on, Mer. It's not that bad. We'll get through it together like always" he told her gently, while Mavis and Flynn observed him with sympathetic eyes that told him of their joint empathy towards their friend's distress. They all knew just how much Merida hated potions and how quick she was to give up on it. The red-head had never been a patient person, and she definitely had a dramatic flair that she liked to use, whenever she was frustrated.

He heard his friend let out a deep sigh underneath that massive mane of curly, untamed hair, before she slowly lifted her face off the table and stood up straight once again, meeting his eyes with her own deep blue ones. He gave her a bright grin, revealing rows of straight, white teeth and she rewarded him with a small, strained smile that showed her dejection while also conveying a slight flicker of hope. Well, it was better than having her face planted on the workstation. This was progress.

"Come on…when we find out whatever we're brewing today, we'll do our usual split. I get the ingredients, you prepare the utensils" he said encouragingly and Merida nodded mutely in acceptance. He patted her on the back a few times for extra reassurance.

As he shot a quick glance towards Hiccup and Fishlegs at the workstation next to his, he met Hiccup's green eyes with his own blue ones. The Ravenclaw had apparently been observing him and Merida, as his eyes clearly conveyed empathy towards the gruff, red-head. Jack's lips twitched in a small but genuine smile at the brunets concern for a person he barely knew, and Hiccup responded with a tiny, flicker of a smile before he turned his attention towards Fishlegs once again. Luckily the two Ravenclaws were not sharing a workstation with McGowan and Levin today but with two Ravenclaw girls that Jack recognized but couldn't remember the names of. One of them, a pretty girl with a blonde ponytail waved at him and gave him a shy smile. As soon as he waved back and smiled, she turned away, blushing. He smirked to himself in amusement. He was used to googly eyed schoolgirls passing him notes or smiling shyly or giggling, but it never ceased to be a source of entertainment. He was always nice though. There was no need to hurt anyone's feelings.

As another frustrated groan from the curly-haired girl next to him reached his ears, professor Creek entered the old, gloomy dungeon classroom, one hand carrying an antique looking cobber cauldron and a large black box tucked under one of his arms. The air of casual chatter that had enveloped the dark, dusty room in a comfortable mood dissipated, as the middle-aged teacher approached his large, wooden desk and set down the cauldron and the box with slight thuds.

Professor Creek directed his attention to his students, his observing eyes scanning their faces quickly, before relaying the plans for the lessons today.

"Good morning class" he began with a cheerful smile gracing his lips, as he spoke in his usual mild tone that conveyed a certain kind of friendliness despite his status as their professor. "Open your books to page 78. Today you'll be brewing Hiccoughing Solution" he declared, and the rustling sounds of students flicking through the pages of their textbooks immediately invaded the quietness.

Jack's gaze found Hiccup's eyes and he shot him bright grin. The Ravenclaw just rolled his eyes in reply, but the hint of a smile that graced his lips revealed his quiet, discreet amusement. Jack's grin widened even more. As he slowly began to get to know Hiccup, he discovered so many oddly fascinating quirks and personality traits that he had never known before. He had found out, how Hiccup rarely showed his amusement openly through laughter as such. For the most part his lips would quirk upwards in one of those crooked smiles or challenging smirks, or he would chuckle slightly, whenever he found something funny. However, Jack found that this only made the times when he openly laughed that much more special. Those few times he had heard Hiccup genuinely laugh without restraint, it had been a pleasant warm sound that made him feel curiously content. When he and Hiccup bantered, the Viking would often hide his amusement behind signs of annoyance, like rolling his eyes or huffing, and this served the common purpose of making their interactions that much more hilarious. Jack could always tell when the Ravenclaw was genuinely amused though. He had quickly learned to read those small, almost invisible signs that revealed the brunets mirth, such as the faint ghost of a smile that made his lips twitch ever so slightly and the subtle gleam in his green eyes that revealed his hidden delight.

As the Gryffindors and Ravenclaws began busying themselves with the preparation needed for brewing their batches, Merida started to locate the needed utensils and lay them out neatly. When Jack had gathered all the ingredients the two of them needed for the Hiccoughing Solution, the two Gryffindors began working on their batches in comfortable silence. Jack made sure to keep an eye on Merida the whole way through as usual, holding back once in a while to not get ahead of her. When she struggled with juicing the beans properly, he showed her an easier way to get all the liquid out without squashing the bean or cutting herself. When she was about to add the peppermint before she had stirred the potion a few times, he made sure to tell her. By the end of the first class, Merida had produced a nicely looking Hiccoughing Solution, and she shot Jack a wide, bright grin at the result.

"Thanks for helping me survive this…again" she told him gratefully, hugging herself, as if it was a little difficult for her to accept that she needed help. Which it was. Jack knew his red-haired friend very well, and she was not only stubborn but proud too, which caused a certain reluctance towards reaching out for assistance. Despite her immediate dislike of Potions in their first year at Hogwarts, it had actually taken her a few years to agree to let Jack help her.

"Anytime, Mer" he said softly and gave her a warm smile.

They were given a short break of 15 minutes before the second part of the class began, and Jack and his friends hung out at their workstation, not wanting to waste precious break time by finding some other place to spend time together. Jack motioned to Hiccup and Fishlegs to join them, and the two Ravenclaws were soon standing among Jack and the others around the large square table filled with cauldrons, utensils and scattered ingredients. Merida, Flynn and Mavis all greeted them warmly with genuine, inviting smiles and Jack found himself appreciating his friends' outgoing, open natures. They would never be rude or reject anyone, unless that someone was unpleasant, and that certainly didn't describe Hiccup or Fishlegs. Hiccup appeared quite relaxed as he shot Jack a brief but honest smile, but Fishlegs shuffled his legs a little nervously and his blue eyes seemed to dart from one person to another. Well, he hadn't actually spoken to Jack and his friends much before, so it was understandable that he might find the situation awkward, especially considering that he was obviously an introverted guy. Jack decided to defuse the slight tension that almost always emerged when others joined a close group of friends.

"So how were you guys getting on with the _hiccoughing s_olution?" Jack asked Hiccup cheekily, emphasizing the name of the potion, while tilting his head of snow-white hair slightly.

"Yes Jack, we all get the connection between this potion and my name, and I'm sure we all think it's _hilarious_" Hiccup deadpanned, causing Jack and Flynn to chuckle.

"I'm glad we agree on that" he replied, ignoring the Ravenclaw's obvious sarcasm. "But seriously how did it go with it?"

"Fine. It's not that difficult a potion, although I really don't see the purpose of making a potion that causes Hiccup's" Hiccup replied and shrugged. Fishlegs nodded beside him.

"That's where you and I differ. I can definitely see that as part of a genius prank" Jack smirked at the green-eyed teen next to him.

"Oh,_ that's_ where you and I differ? On the use of Hiccoughing Solution?" the brunet asked him with an obvious underlying amusement in his tone. Jack heard his friends' snicker at that and Fishlegs' lips quirked upwards.

"Among other things" Jack said with a smirk and shrugged off Hiccup's comment. "How about you, Fishlegs? You like Potions?"

"Yeah. Well, it's not my favorite class but I don't mind it" the heavy boy explained quickly, a sign of his obvious awkwardness.

"What's your favorite class then?" Mavis chimed in, obviously wanting to make the boy feel more comfortable. Typical Mavis Jack thought with affection.

"Oh definitely Care of Magical Creatures…and Ancient Runes" the blonde Viking boy's eyes were wide and excited, as he gestured with his hands to underline his words, his previous awkwardness suddenly forgotten. Jack briefly wondered if Vikings in general gestured a lot, as Hiccup also liked to use his hands while he spoke.

"You two should have an advantage in that class" Mavis said with a little amusement in her voice and a knowing smile on her lips. She tugged a lock of black hair behind one of her ears.

The two Ravenclaws both hummed in agreement and shared Mavis' knowing look.

"Why?" Merida asked, her brow furrowed in mild confusion, as she observed the two Ravenclaws.

"Because they're Vikings, duh" Jack said teasingly and nudged her shoulder. "Vikings write in runes". Jack briefly thought of Hiccup's Transfiguration notes. The Ravenclaw had scribbled down the strange markings with an ease and fluidity that only came with strong familiarity, so Jack suspected that he wrote all his notes in runes. Maybe it was to keep some kind of connection to his culture. The foreign letters were actually quite fascinating to look at, Jack thought to himself. Usually he would never care about something like that, but the ancient language was the language of Vikings. Who wouldn't find that interesting?

"Right. I knew that" Merida said, glaring daggers at him. Yeah right. She hadn't thought of that at all he thought to himself and chuckled on the inside. The proud Scotsman would never admit that though.

"Yeah. I don't take Ancient Runes though" Hiccup explained casually and shrugged.

"Why not?" Jack asked curiously. It seemed like such an obvious class to take for a Viking, didn't it?

Hiccup shrugged again. "I considered it…but I ended up taking Art instead"

"Good choice" Mavis said genuinely and gave the Viking a knowing smile.

"I know right?"

"By the way, that drawing you did for the last class was incredible" Mavis told Hiccup with a certain impressed tone in her voice.

Hiccup blushed immediately at the compliment and Jack found himself grinning widely at the brunet's embarrassed response. This was another thing that Jack had quickly discovered about Hiccup: he would become self-conscious and his cheeks would be tinted with a lovely pink color every time someone paid him a genuine compliment. Even simple friendly gestures and kind words could sometimes cause a flustered reaction from the Ravenclaw, and Jack found it positively hilarious most of the time.

"Thanks, that's nice of you to say. I didn't see your drawing last time, but I know you're really talented" Hiccup replied and there was nothing but honesty in his green eyes, as he examined the black-haired girl sitting across the workstation from him.

"Thank you Hiccup, I really appreciate that. See, these guys here…" Mavis gestured to Jack, Flynn and Merida. "They're not really artistic. I'm pretty much alone in that".

"Well, thank you for that compliment, Dracula" Flynn huffed and crossed his arms, pretending to be offended.

"Oh please…" Mavis said, waving her hand dismissively. "Do you want me to remind you of that drawing contest you and Merida had the other day?"

"No, not really" Flynn said honestly. The sting of losing was probably not completely gone yet, Jack thought to himself with amusement.

"What about you Fishlegs? Do you do any creative stuff?" Jack asked the heavy, blonde boy with genuine curiosity.

"No, not really. I leave that to Hiccup and Rapunzel. They're always doing some kind of creative project" Fishlegs replied casually, still gesturing with his hands as he spoke. He was now beginning to seem comfortable among the Gryffindors, much to Jack's satisfaction.

"Well, we can't all be artists" Jack stated.

"No, just look at you" Flynn teased him.

"Hey, I'm not the one who lost a drawing contest recently" Jack retorted, his eyes gleaming triumphantly, and he was pleased to see and hear the indignant huff that escaped Flynn's mouth.

"Of course you weren't, no one challenged _you_"

"And thank goodness for that" Mavis interjected quickly. Wait wait…What was that supposed to mean? He wasn't that bad, Jack thought to himself. Damn cheeky Dracula.

"What do you mean?" Hiccup asked her curiously.

"Oh don't ever challenge Jack. He has no shame, he'll do anything" Mavis told the Ravenclaw with a certainness and underlying amusement that clearly indicated her familiarity with his child-like, carefree nature. Jack scowled at his black-haired friend though. He most definitely wouldn't do anything. He'd do a lot. A lot more than most people...a lot more than most people would probably even think of…But not _anything_.

"Hey, I can't exactly back down when someone challenges my manhood. It's a matter of honor" he objected, holding his hands up in a surrendering gesture. It really was though. He felt an almost child-like defiance whenever someone told him he couldn't do something or extended a challenge to him.

"Jack, I doubt that anyone wants to deal with your _manhood"_ Hiccup deadpanned, causing Jack's friends and Fishlegs to chuckle at his expense. That sneaky little Viking, he thought to himself in amusement.

"Oh, that's where you're wrong Hiccup…Jack, I challenge you to eat this piece of boomslang skin" Flynn suddenly declared, holding out a tiny piece of the snake skin in his palm.

"Done!" Jack said enthusiastically, took the piece of skin and quickly swallowed it down. Sure, it wasn't exactly delicious, but it didn't make him want to vomit either. It was just sort of like eating a dried leaf.

"Gross!" Mavis instantly said, her face contorted in a disgusted expression, while Merida roared with laughter and Hiccup and Fishlegs watched with furrowed brows and grins in a mix of amusement and repulsion.

Jack smirked mischievously. "I did what you said, Rider. Now it's time for you to be challenged" he triumphed and picked up one of the potions ingredients lying on his side of the table. "Eat this Flitterby wing" Jack commanded him and passed the dried insect wing to Flynn, who closed his hand around it and quickly threw it into his mouth. A soft, crunching sound was heard as Flynn chewed the dried insect remnant and swallowed it, earning him "eww" sounds from both Merida and Mavis. Damn, he actually did it, Jack thought. He wasn't sure if Flynn would actually play along, but now that he had, Jack wasn't about to back down. He wanted to win this competition, earning him the right to gloat. In his circle of friends that right should never be underestimated.

"Your move, Frosty" Flynn said confidently as he reached out his hand, opened his palm and revealed a small black egg that Jack instantly recognized as a doxy egg. Oh great. Those were supposed to be really nasty. He grabbed the egg from his friend's hand and watched it lie on his own palm for a few moments.

"What's the matter, Jack?" Hiccup said teasingly and shot him a cheeky smirk. "Is your _manhood _in trouble?"

Jack heard his friends snicker at the Ravenclaw's comment. Oh hell no. Flynn was _not_ going to best him at this and Hiccup was _not _going to get away with making fun of him. He grabbed the egg and shoved it into his mouth, crushing it with his teeth. As it released its juice, it coated his taste buds with an incredibly bitter taste and Jack couldn't help but grimace, causing the other teens around him to laugh at his expression.

"Wow, that was rough" Jack said as he had consumed the little black egg. He shot a look at Hiccup, who was grinning widely in amusement and he found a bright smile spreading across his own face.

"Well, prepare to go down, Rider" Jack said evilly as he viewed the ingredients lying scattered on his side of the workstation. "Hmm…." he said in contemplation and then decided on a particularly nasty item. He passed the puffer-fish eye to Flynn, who took it but looked a bit paler now.

"Eww Flynn, you're not seriously going to eat that are you?" Mavis asked with repulsion evident on her features. What was she doing? She shouldn't talk Flynn _out _of it. It would be too amusing to watch him eat that gross eye. Jack decided to rile his friend up a little to ensure that he would continue.

"Are you going to get on with it Rider? Or do you surrender to my superiority?" he said teasingly, lifting an eyebrow.

Flynn responded by throwing the puffer-fish eye into his mouth, and as soon as he chewed on the soft, squishy substance he made a face of pure disgust. Jack and the others laughed at the brunet Gryffindor, who seemed to be even paler now, as if all the blood had been drained from his face by the fish eye.

"Wow…that was disgusting" Flynn said, holding a hand over his stomach, as if he was about to be sick. He took a few moments to regain his composure, before eagerly grabbing an ingredient and handing it to Jack.

"No wait, Jack don't-" Jack heard Hiccup say, but by then it was too late. He had already swallowed the berry.

"Aaaand, you ate it" Hiccup drawled.

"What?" Jack asked in confusion. He had known it was a berry, but he hadn't taken a proper look at it. Judging by Hiccup's expression that had definitely been a mistake.

"That was a baneberry. They're extremely poisonous" Hiccup explained. Oh crap, Jack thought to himself. Well, that wasn't a very smart move then.

"Oh geez Jack….Look what you've got yourself into" Mavis said sternly and with an obvious trace of concern. Flynn and Merida both eyed him with hesitant worry in their features, as if he would suddenly drop to the floor in agonizing spasms. Not that that was very likely. There was still plenty of time to do something about it.

"Yeah…my tongue is actually going numb now. Call Poison Control" Jack said jokingly, but there was truth behind the words. His tongue was actually going slightly numb.

Hiccup apparently noticed his half-true statement. "You're an idiot" he groaned.

"I think my mouth's beginning to foam" Jack stated, though this time there was no truth in it.

"Jack, we should do something" Mavis said firmly, watching him with those worried blue eyes.

Hiccup briskly walked away from the table towards the shelves containing all the jars of potions ingredients. Jack and his friends observed him in silence as he found a container, propped the lid open and grabbed something from it. What was he taking? Jack wondered.

The Ravenclaw quickly made it back to the workstation, reached out his hand and placed something small in Jack's palm. Jack's fingers tingled from the brief brush of skin. He observed the small stone-like mass in his hand and instantly recognized it as a bezoar. Of course, he thought. Bezoars are effective against most poisons, everyone who has paid attention in potions classes knows that. Jack would have thought of that himself, if he hadn't been too busy with the degree of numbness invading his tongue.

He quickly swallowed the small stone-like mass and gave the other teens a bright grin.

"There. Now I'm not going to die" he said triumphantly and crossed his arms in success.

"You're an idiot" Hiccup repeated his words from a while ago and rolled his eyes, but the faint hint of a smile on his lips told Jack that he wasn't serious this time. It actually seemed more like an affectionate scolding, which somehow made him feel delighted. It definitely seemed like the guarded brunet was opening up to him slowly.

"I just put on a dramatic display, so you could be the hero and save me" he declared and shot Hiccup a challenging smirk.

"Right" Hiccup drawled. "Because as you have ingeniously deducted, I have a desperate, urgent need to play the hero" the Ravenclaw finished, every word dripping with sharp sarcasm. Jack noticed Fishlegs' bright grin that erupted as soon as the statement left his friend's mouth.

"Oh, I know you do. You hide it behind that wall of sarcasm, but you desperately want to save the day and seduce everyone in sight with your dorky awkwardness" Jack said triumphantly.

Hiccup genuinely laughed at that and the sound sent a tingle down Jack's spine. He found himself beaming at the Ravenclaw, as this was one of those special times where Hiccup would laugh openly. Fishlegs' face split into a wide, toothy grin next to his friend.

"Oh, you know me so well already" Hiccup said, shaking his head. "All of this" he continued as he gestured to himself. "Is clearly just a front."

"Definitely is" Jack replied with a knowing smirk. It was true though. Not that Hiccup wasn't a sarcastic, brainy, awkward introvert, he definitely was…but there was more to him than that, as Jack had already discovered. Hiccup however, liked to pretend to the other students that there wasn't, and it was clearly to keep people at arm's length. He wouldn't get rid of Jack that easily though. The more he got to know Hiccup, the more he liked him, and he decided then and there that he would like to befriend the guarded Ravenclaw. Hopefully that would actually be possible. Oh well…even if it was going to be difficult, he was never one to avoid a challenge.

~~~~ Hiccup ~~~~

The second half of Potions had been fairly uneventful. They had been asked to brew Amortentia and several of the girls present in class had giggled and whispered to each other conspiratorially as soon as this was mentioned by professor Creek. Some of them were definitely scheming. Amortentia was the most powerful love potion in the world, which also made it one of the most dangerous potions and Hiccup found himself wondering why in Odin's name the school was willingly handing over that kind of ammunition to _teenage girls_. They were practically asking for poisonings, sudden fits of obsession and embarassing declarations of love. He was definitely not going to be accepting anything edible or drinkable from anyone any time soon that was for sure. As he exchanged a brief look with Jack, the pale teen seemed to be thinking the exact same thing, as his blue eyes were slightly narrowed in a skeptical way. Hiccup smirked in amusement to him, and was rewarded with a bright grin in response and somehow it warmed him to know that he and Jack were getting along so well. He briefly thought about Jack's and Flynn's contest during the break and he chuckled mentally. Jack was seriously entertaining to be around. He was so upbeat and carefree, and he obviously didn't mind making a completely fool of himself, if it could make his friends laugh. Hiccup found himself admiring the Gryffindor in that sense. The pale teen genuinely wanted to make the people around him happy and that was a heartwarming character trait in Hiccup's opinion.

The Amortentia potion in itself was advanced and thus fairly difficult to make, and the instructions were longer than anyone Hiccup had seen for a potion. Well, at least that was something. Maybe it would deter some of the lovestruck schoolgirls from trying it out on their poor unsuspecting crushes, he thought to himself.

"Well this looks a bit complicated" he told Fishlegs as his eyes scanned over the pages and the heavy blonde nodded in response.

"Yeah, take a look at this list of ingredients" he replied and pointed a finger on the page next to the instructions. Hiccup looked it over and had to agree that that was indeed a very long list. This batch was going to require quite a lot of concentration. Good thing that he was a patient person. He shot a quick glance at Jack and wondered how he would get on with this potion. The guy was not one for patience, but his natural ability in this class would probably get him good results anyway. Jack definitely had a knack for potions.

"Yeah…we better get started" he told Fishlegs and motioned for him to follow him towards the many shelves.

The two Viking boys began gathering the ingredients from the large containers on the dark, dusty bookshelves in the old, gloomy dungeon classroom, and despite the long list they managed to collect the items fairly quickly, as Fishlegs held his textbook and read out the list, while Hiccup opened the various jars and took out the ingredients. As Jack walked past him to get to another shelf, the Gryffindor nudged him playfully on the shoulder, causing him to drop a few starthistles that landed gently on the dark stone floor. Hiccup couldn't stop the amused smile that quirked his lips upward, as Jack quickly scurried away to avoid any kind of retribution.

When Hiccup and Fishlegs had brought the ingredients back to the workstation and laid out the utensils they needed for brewing this particular potion, they set to work separately next to each other. Neither one of them had a problem with Potions, so usually the brewing process was a quiet, peaceful affair without any bumps in the road. They did however both regularly lean over to check the other one's potion, just to make sure it looked identical to their own batch. If it didn't they needed to work out, where one of them went wrong. Mostly though, they both did well and succeeded in brewing the potions correctly.

Hiccup began working on his batch meticulously. He chopped the Valarian root with a quick and steady hand, which left him with a slight coating of its white flowers' pollen on his fingertips. He brushed it off by rubbing his hands together, before continuing the brewing process by adding honeywater, the first ingredient, to his cauldron. Afterwards he began powdering the moonstones, which was a difficult task in itself. It takes a lot of hard effort to grind moonstones down to the fine powdery substance that's needed in potions, and when they were done both Hiccup and Fishlegs could feel the strain in their arms. Hiccup added the Valarian root to his cauldron, closely followed by the powdered moonstone, as the instructions dictated and stirred counter clockwise for three minutes. When nothing unusual seemed to happen as he kept an eye on his batch, he powdered the rose thorns, and carefully chopped up the starthistles and dandelion root and added them in that same order.

He let his potion simmer for five minutes, and quickly threw a glance at Jack, who was in the middle of helping Merida with her potion, showing her an effective way of cutting the starthistles without getting prickled. He smiled softly to himself. Jack really did seem like a great friend to those he cared about. He'd noticed before how he would always help Merida during potions, as the girl apparently hated the class with a passion, while Jack had an obvious talent for it. He'd taken it upon himself to get her through it and that was definitely the sign of a kind, compassionate person. He found himself thinking that many people in the school didn't get the chance to see this side of Jack. Most students just knew him as a popular, carefree prankster, but there was definitely a lot more to him than that. They had only spent time together for a few days, and yet Hiccup felt that he'd discovered several things about Jack that most people probably didn't know, like the way he was honestly a caring person, not just about his close friends but about practically anyone. Hiccup thought about the morning where he had been tired from his nightly flight with Toothless, where Jack had seemed genuinely concerned with his sleep deprived state. Jack was also quite clever. He wasn't the most active student in the classes they shared, but he was definitely intelligent and he had a natural talent for magic that made him able to do quite well in most subjects. His cleverness was also illustrated by his quick-witted retorts during their playful banter, which Hiccup had already come to enjoy immensely, especially when he managed to rile Jack up. He had also realized that he was already beginning to know the pale Gryffindor's tiny expressions, such as the difference between an amused smirk and a challenging smirk and the way Jack would often raise one eyebrow, when he was teasing someone.

When the five minutes had gone, he leaned in to look at Fishlegs' potion that looked identical to his own. Fishlegs gave him a nod in understanding, before continuing working on his batch. They were usually on the same steps in the brewing process as they seemed to have a similar way of working, carefully and meticulously but with a confident fluidity that came from experience and which helped them keep a fairly fast pace. Their Viking background definitely helped them in classes such as this, as they'd learned to handle different kinds of tools when they were very young and had therefore gained a familiarity with tools and manual labor that other students hadn't.

As the two Ravenclaws continued to work in companionable silence, checking in on each other once in a while, Hiccup cracked the ashwinder eggs and added them to the cauldron. This caused his potion to glow purple, but according to his textbook that was normal. Afterwards he chopped and added the final ingredients, which included Haliwinkles, Flitterbloom and cinnamon. When he had added them all according to the instructions, he let it simmer for 10 minutes and stirred it five times clockwise and five times counter clockwise, which caused the potion to take on a mother-of-pearl sheen, as it gleamed in the depth of his black cauldron. It seemed that his potion had turned out quite well.

Fishlegs finished his batch a few minutes after Hiccup, and the heavy blonde leaned in to check if they had achieved the same results, which became evident from the gentle smile on Fishlegs' lips that they had.

"Well, that's done then" the large Viking said in a certain tired self-satisfaction and observed his shimmering potion for a few moments.

"Yup. That was definitely one of the harder batches we've ever had to make" Hiccup replied, while raising his eyebrows. It was true though. Even though he and Fishlegs' had both produced nice looking potions, the lengthy instructions and ingredients list hadn't made it as easy as the Hiccoughing Solution and several other potions they'd brewed in earlier years.

"True…Better hope no one uses it on you" Fishlegs teased him and nudged his shoulder quickly.

Hiccup scoffed. "They won't get a chance. I'm not taking anything edible or drinkable from anyone for a while" he explained, as his earlier thoughts came back to him.

"Probably a smart move. I definitely saw some of the girls in here eying you carefully…and Jack and Flynn too"

Hiccup groaned. "I think Jack's on the same page as me. He definitely looked a bit disturbed as well, when professor Creek mentioned what we'd be brewing" he chuckled.

"Well, I would be too if I was him. He's always been popular. Did you see how Rebecca was waving at him and blushing earlier?"

"No, not really, but that's not much of a surprise" Hiccup stated. Jack was a popular guy with the girls, and he'd heard Rebecca talk fondly of him before in the Ravenclaw common room with some of the other girls.

"Anyway…should we try smelling the potions?" Fishlegs changed the subject, eying the two batches with curiosity and anticipation.

"Oh right…let's do that" Hiccup quickly agreed. It would be quite interesting to find out which smells apparently attracted him, as it definitely had some sort of psychological aspect to it. Hopefully it wouldn't be something creepy or too strange, as that would definitely make him analyze himself in depth.

He watched his potion for a few moments, before carefully leaning in over the cauldron and letting the steam seep into his nose, spreading its scent. He instantly recognized the first smell as peppermint, the sharp, refreshing smell causing his nose to twitch slightly. A brief flashback of being back on Berk gathering herbs came to the forefront of his mind, as he recalled the coarse feel and the bright green color of the peppermint leaves and the cool, fresh taste and smell that was not only pleasant but could also clear out a stuffy nose fairly quickly.

The scent dissipated, leaving him with his thoughts of Berk for a moment, before a new smell reached him. Images of late nights working in Gobber's workshop, of saddling Toothless for the first time, of constructing his armor, of being free in the sky with his best friend all came rushing through his mind, and he felt a tug of nostalgia and affection in his heart. This was the smell of fresh leather, definitely something that was connected to many great memories that meant a lot to him, so it made sense that he would smell it in this potion.

As the scent slowly subsided, Hiccup found himself briefly thinking how incredible it was that scents could produce that sort of emotional response. Everyone has probably experienced smelling something that suddenly made all kinds of nice, warm, pleasant memories come streaming back, all sparked from a simple scent, but it was still interesting how it could unlock a rush of thoughts and feelings like that.

As he inhaled another breath, memories of drawing and sketching, memories of mapping out the archipelago with Toothless, memories of writing eagerly in his notebook when he'd seen a new dragon species or was writing notes for a new invention flashed in his mind. This was definitely charcoal, like the charcoal pencil he always had stored in a small compartment in his armor.

He was momentarily confused when the last scent reached his nostrils, as he didn't quite realize_ why_ it appeared. It was fire…However, when his brain began to flip through memories based on the smell, he immediately understood. He thought of Toothless roaring happily and firing a fireball in the air, when they'd done a successful difficult drill, defending Berk on the back of his dragon with the other teens by his side, his flame sword, falling into a sea of flames when he and Toothless had defeated the dragon queen. Not that that last memory was pleasant as such, but it had strengthened his and Toothless' friendship. Made it unbreakable. Fire had become such a central part of his life due to Toothless and the other dragons, so in his mind it was no longer connected to danger and uncertainty but adventure, excitement and his best friend.

As he pulled away from the cauldron and stood up straight once again, he met Fishleg's curious gaze observing him. Apparently he was already done smelling his Amortentia batch.

"So…what did you smell, Fish?" Hiccup asked him with genuine curiosity. Probably Meatlug he thought in amusement.

"Umm…well…ocean breeze…wet wood…old books…and fresh Icelandic cod" the blonde Viking listed, his blue eyes gleaming as if he was somehow still wondering if there was a deeper meaning to it.

"What, are you some kind of academic pirate now?" Hiccup said jokingly, earning him a quick but amusing scowl from his large friend.

"Come on, you know I've always loved the ocean" Fishlegs argued, and Hiccup definitely couldn't disagree with that. For some reason Fishlegs had always been fascinated with the sea, and he loved watching the sunsets with Meatlug while gazing over the massive body of water, or go swimming by one of the beaches in the summer. Just flying across the ocean on the back of their dragons put Fishlegs in a good mood.

"Well, what did you smell?" Fishlegs continued and asked as if he was hoping it would be something particularly weird that he could throw back in his face. Well…he guessed that _some_ of the things were kind of weird, so his friend got his wish there.

"Uh…peppermint, fresh leather, charcoal and…fire"

"And you're giving _me_ shit?" Fishlegs said with a skeptically raised eyebrow and a tone of disbelief.

Hiccup chuckled at that. It was so rare to hear Fishlegs swear, and whenever he did it just became evident that it was a stark contrast to his usual mild-mannered self, which only made it more hilarious.

"What?" he asked innocently and held up his hands in a surrendering gesture. He knew that it must sound weird to others that he smelled fire from this kind of potion, but…there was a meaning behind it, as the unlocking of memories as he breathed in the potion had revealed.

"Hiccup seriously…fire?" Fishlegs asked incredulously.

"Yeah, seriously. What's wrong with that?" Well, to be honest, he already knew. It totally made him sound like some kind of mad, disturbed arsonist who was desperately setting fires all around him because he needed to inhale it. Psychopath alert, much?

"You're just…could you not be like completely intertwined with Toothless for just one second of your life?" he asked rolling his eyes and chuckling in obvious amusement and underlying affection.

"No, of course not" Hiccup said and crossed his arms defiantly. Why would he ever do that? Toothless was the best thing that ever happened to him, so it only made sense that this potion would make that connection.

Fishlegs just shook his head slowly with a small smirk gracing his lips.

"You're like…one being, aren't you?" he asked teasingly.

"Definitely" Hiccup replied and beamed at his friend, who gave him a wide grin in response. Naturally, he and Toothless weren't one being, but it felt like it sometimes. When they would practically work as one in the air, and when they understood each other perfectly without needing words, it was almost as if they were connected by more than just friendship, like they had some sort of spiritual link. He could never fully explain the depth of his connection with his beloved best friend to others, but it didn't matter as long as he and Toothless understood it.

~~~~ Jack ~~~~

Jack had to pay extra attention to Merida during this second half of Potions, as this was a lot more advanced than the Hiccoughing Solution. To his surprise though, the red-head did manage to brew an acceptable batch of the love potion with his assistance. He had expected some problems because of the lengthy instructions, but as long as the two Gryffindors were following the same pace, making sure to stay on the same steps of the brewing process, everything went off without a hitch.

They had been told that the love potion smelled differently to each individual according to what attracted them. Well, that was definitely interesting, and Jack immediately found himself curious as to what he was going to smell from the potion, and what his friends would smell. Hopefully there would be some nice teasing material to be found there somewhere, he thought to himself with amusement. After his potion was done simmering and was shining with that mother-of-pearl look, he leaned in over the freshly brewed batch and breathed in.

The smell of fresh pine invaded his nostrils and made him feel oddly content, as he pictured himself walking through a thick forest, pine cones and dried fallen pine needles cracking under his feet, as he took in the calming, green surroundings and the clean, fresh air reached his lungs. Suddenly a new scent chased away the pine and Jack instantly recognized it as freshly baked pancakes, his favorite treat in the early, tired mornings, where it would fill his belly with a comforting, satisfying warmth. He felt his stomach growl slightly at the smell, as if it wanted him to down the potion in hope of it tasting like pancakes. Memories of many happy lazy Sunday mornings with Emma and early mornings with his friends in the Great Hall flashed in his mind.

The nice, familiar smell then gave way to a faint, crisp, airy scent. It was delicate and it was almost non-existent, but Jack would know it anywhere as freshly fallen snow. He instantly thought of him and Emma playing in the snow and building snowmen, the snowball fights he always started at Hogwarts, and the gentle soothing of his mind as the first thin layer of sparkling white covered the landscape. Of course it would be snow Jack chuckled to himself. He was Jack Frost, what else would it be?

After Jack and his friends all took in the aromas of their freshly brewed potions, they started to question each other on what it smelled like. He and Flynn shared an amused laugh, as Merida explained that she smelled sweet red apples, freshly baked raisin cookies and a newly made Quidditch broom. Mavis told them she could smell lilies, ink, meringue and cinnamon, while Flynn's aromas of attraction apparently were fresh, hot coffee, freshly chipped sawdust, and newly chopped lumber.

"Damn that's some manly smells" Jack commented on Flynn's explanation.

"Yeah. Smells like gettin' shit done" Flynn said in a deep, macho tone while puffing his chest out. They all chuckled at his comment. Sure, Flynn was no wuss, but he wasn't exactly the typical man's man either, and that only made that combination of scents he'd smelled from his potion even stranger. Well, actually the lumber part made perfect sense since Flynn's dad owned a lumbermill, so he was obviously fond of the scent, having grown up with it, but the other's weren't quite so obvious.

"What about you, Snowflake?" Merida asked him with a curious lift of one red eyebrow.

"Pine, pancakes and freshly fallen snow" Jack replied, earning him several hearty laughs from his friends.

"Of course" Mavis said fondly, as if she was recalling how excited Jack got whenever the first snow would appear and gracefully coat the earth in a crisp, layer of white.

He did always feel more comfortable during the winter. Somehow, the delicate snow and the unyielding ice eased his mind in ways that he couldn't explain. He just felt more at home, whenever that soft, white blanket of gleaming snow and icy surfaces would appear. He would probably never be able to fully explain the feeling to others, but there was never a doubt that he was a winter child and always would be.

After Potions, Hiccup, Fishlegs and the four Gryffindors made their way towards their next classes. Hiccup and Fishlegs had Herbology, while Jack and Mavis had Arithmancy. They ascended the old stone staircase that led towards the corridors from the dungeon, and Jack felt more comfortable when they had finally left the gloomy surroundings and were once again strolling through the familiar passageways. Even though he liked Potions, the classroom was definitely way too depressing.

"Oh gods no" Hiccup suddenly said, his eyes widening for a few seconds, as he stopped dead in his tracks, causing the four Gryffindors to stop too and look at him curiously.

"What?" Jacked asked, his brow furrowing. He really didn't like that look of concern on Hiccup's face.

"Those two Hufflepuff girls there constantly want to talk to me" Hiccup groaned and motioned further down the corridor with his head. Jack felt a grin spread across his face. He trained his blue eyes on the girls in question, and his grin only widened. He immediately recognized Sarah Hudson and Jessica Joyce, and he was in no way surprised that they'd taken a liking to Hiccup. They were both the kind of girl to harbor some hopeless puppy dog crush on whoever was good looking or popular. Jack heard Fishlegs chuckle.

"Well" Jack said, still unable to wipe the grin from his face. "Let's just go down this way" he finished and slung his arm around the Ravenclaw, guiding Hiccup down another corridor, shielding him from the potential awkward encounter of interacting with the girls. Mavis and Merida shot Jack some curious looks, like Flynn had done earlier, but he just grinned at them. Hiccup let out a sigh of relief, as they made their way down the other passageway, and Flynn, Merida and Mavis all chuckled slightly at the brunet's obvious contentment of avoiding googly eyed schoolgirls.

"You almost had to socialize there, Hic" Jack said teasingly and nudged his side, still having his arm around the other guy's shoulder.

"I know right? Phew, dodged a bullet" Hiccup said, voicing his relief, causing Jack to chuckle. Hiccup's reluctance regarding his sudden popularity and his social awkwardness in general was actually pretty endearing sometimes. Jack couldn't really relate to it at all, having never been the awkward or self-conscious type himself, but he found that he felt a combination of wanting to shield the guy from his own awkwardness and wanting to tease him about it, finding it completely hilarious at times. Obviously, it depended on the context though. If Hiccup was truly upset and uncomfortable, he would never tease him about it, but it was quite fun to create those pink blushes on his cheeks by joking around with him. Jack lifted his hand from its place around the other boy's shoulder and ruffled his brown hair in a slightly teasing gesture, feeling the soft locks against his fingertips, as a tingling sensation spread through his fingers, before he once again let his arm rest on Hiccup's shoulder. Jack could feel the warmth from the Ravenclaw as they walked closely, shoulder to shoulder but it was a friendly warmth and closeness, so that was perfectly fine.

As Mavis and Merida quickly became engulfed in a discussion of their own, Flynn began regaling Hiccup with what their potions had all smelled like, and the Ravenclaw let out small chuckles when some of the more unusual smells were mentioned. Jack found himself wanting to know what the brunet Viking had experienced from his own batch.

"So what did your potion smell like?" Jack asked Hiccup curiously, his arm still slung around the Viking boy's shoulder.

Hiccup seemed to hesitate for a few moments, but Jack had expected that. He was shy and awkward, so he would naturally be considering whether or not to admit to his scents of attraction. Jack was secretly hoping that it would be something that he could use to get one of those blushes out of him.

"Umm…peppermint…fresh leather…charcoal…and well…fire" Hiccup said almost sheepishly and looked away from Jack, as if expecting the outburst that was coming shortly after.

"Fire? You're attracted to fire?" Jack asked in disbelief and let out a bubbly laugh. That was just too entertaining.

"I'm not attracted _to_ fire, just as I assume you're not attracted_ to_ pancakes, you dumbass" the brunet retorted dryly with a tiny smile tugging at his lips, and Flynn chuckled at that. Jack grinned widely at Hiccup calling him a dumbass. It was so out of character for him, which only made it more hilarious, and it was great that he was already comfortable enough to call him something like that. "It's like…the faint smell of fire and smoke in the air after a bonfire" Hiccup explained gesturing eagerly with his hands.

"Well that's not too creepy, mr. Arsonist" Jack said sarcastically. He briefly wondered if Hiccup would smell fire from the potion because of the dragons, but quickly pushed the thought away.

"I knew I shouldn't have told you, Snowcone" the Ravenclaw deadpanned and nudged Jack's shoulder playfully.

"Be nice or I'll blab to your fangirls" Jack threatened with an evil smirk gracing his lips. He heard his friends chuckle at that comment.

Hiccup's eyes widened for a few seconds in absolute horror. "No…you wouldn't"

"Oh, I would" Jack said darkly and narrowed his eyes.

"Stupid pale snow-loving Gryffindors…" Hiccup mumbled under his breath and Jack laughed loudly not being able to restrain himself and then ruffled the Ravenclaw's soft brown hair once again in a friendly gesture.

~~~~ Hiccup ~~~~

"He did not!" Rapunzel beamed in amusement, as Hiccup regaled her with the story of Jack and Flynn's little competition in Potions. The three Ravenclaws had arrived 10 minutes early to their Herbology class, and were spending the remaining time catching up on how their classes had been, as they were currently the only ones in the large bright greenhouse. The musty, moist smell of soil and the fresh scent of leaves and flowers were naturally always very pungent in the greenhouses of Hogwarts, but Hiccup didn't mind at all. He found the earthy scents soothing and comforting, as he liked being outdoors and in contact with nature. It made a certain calmness wash over him, the same way the scent of pine did when he was walking through the forests back at Berk or spent time with Toothless in the little forest here at Hogwarts.

That was another reason why he liked Herbology. To get your hands in the dirt, to learn how to tend to the magical plants and make them grow, to find out how to process the plants to get potions ingredients out of it, all of these things were nice variations from the classic way of teaching classes at Hogwarts with part lecture and part practice in a classroom inside the large stone castle.

Unfortunately though, Ravenclaw and Slytherin shared this class, much to Hiccup's discontent. Sure, there _were_ decent people in Slytherin, but some of the worst bully types were definitely also in that House. It really didn't help that Know, Jarvis and Kinney all had Herbology too. The three Slytherins had always had a strong dislike for Rapunzel, ever since their first year at the magical school, and they liked to deflate her bubbly mood with mocking comments and names. Naturally, Hiccup and Fishlegs would always defend her, but it still made her sad that these three boys strongly disliked her, even though she had never done anything to them. Luckily, Rapunzel had become more immune to the mean comments as the years went by, but once in a while when one of them had made a particular nasty remark, she could be in a gloomy mood for the rest of the day. Those situations definitely made Hiccup fume with anger on the inside. He really wished that they could share Herbology with the Hufflepuffs or the Gryffindors. Preferably the Gryffindors though. Jack could probably create some very amusing moments out of dealing with strange and/or dangerous plants. Now that Hiccup thought about it, he wasn't even sure if Jack actually had Herbology at all though.

"Oh yeah, he did" Hiccup told his blonde friend with a smile tugging at the corner of his lips and Fishlegs snickered next to him.

"Wow, that sounds gross…a doxy egg? Boomslang skin? Eww" Rapunzel's crinkled nose and furrowed brow showed her obvious disgust.

"Yeah, it definitely wasn't a gourmet meal, that's for sure" Fishlegs chimed in with mirth in his blue eyes.

"Wait…you said you had to brew Amortentia. What did you smell then?" Rapunzel asked curiously, tilting her head of blonde hair slightly in a questioning manner.

"Well, Fishlegs' apparently a pirate now, as he's attracted to the smell of wet wood, the sea and Icelandic cod" Hiccup chuckled and Rapunzel quickly joined in.

"Wow, Fish. Are you going to commandeer a ship then and sail around the world in search of booty?" Rapunzel asked teasingly, nudging the heavy boy's shoulder.

"Hey, at least I'm not attracted to fire" Fishlegs retorted, his blue eyes gleaming with mirth. Great, this again Hiccup thought and chuckled mentally.

"Hiccup…seriously?" Rapunzel said skeptically, watching him with raised eyebrows.

"Yes, seriously. It's not like I can control what that potion smelled like, you know" Hiccup replied with a twitch of his lips, as his second close friend was now apparently questioning his sanity.

His bubbly blonde friend shook her head with an amused smirk. "You really are something else…"

"Why, thank you" he replied and bowed his head to her. "You're…kind of okay too" he finished hesitantly, as if Rapunzel was actually some sort of chore to be around.

Rapunzel instantly punched his arm in protest. "Hey! I'm more than okay" she objected, narrowing her green eyes but with a smile tugging at her lips. Ouch. His blonde friend may be sweet and innocent, but that punch was definitely going to leave a bruise.

Hiccup shrugged in a carefree way. "Well…I tolerate you, let's leave it at that" He replied nonchalantly, causing Fishlegs to snicker in amusement and Rapunzel to narrow her eyes in hostility before she burst into a bright grin.

Their conversation was interrupted as four Slytherins and three Ravenclaws entered the Greenhouse and placed themselves around the large, oblong table that was filled with plants of different kinds as well as gardening tools. A relaxed atmosphere of casual chatter among the students filled the bright greenhouse, as they all waited for their professor to arrive. As the minutes ticked by, more students brimmed through the entrance to the large glass building, and Hiccup felt a pang of annoyance as he spotted the three familiar Slytherin boys enter. Luckily they remained at a fair distance from Rapunzel, at least for now.

As professor Cherry appeared, the casual buzzing of conversation died down and the students focused their attention on their Herbology teacher. The professor was a young woman in her late 20's, who had begun teaching at Hogwarts just last year. She was of average height and slightly skinny with light skin, straight, shoulder-length blonde hair and warm brown eyes. Hiccup, Fishlegs and Rapunzel had immediately taken a liking to her, as she was not just a competent, intelligent teacher but also very kind and compassionate, always willing to help anyone who had problems in class and not tolerating any kind of rude behavior between students.

When Professor Cherry joyously announced that they were going to be handling Venemous Tentacula plants today, a mix of excitement and nervous anticipation rushed through the students, causing hushed whispers to erupt among them. Their teacher had placed a large example of the nasty plant on the large workstation next to her, and it was swinging its spiky vines menacingly in seemingly angry gestures. Could plants even be angry? As Hiccup was observing the plant, it definitely had an air about it that seemed to be seriously pissed off at the universe. And they were going to handle its probably-just-as-pissed-off brothers and sisters?

Well, this was going to be…interesting, Hiccup thought to himself. Venemous Tentaculas were very dangerous, much more dangerous than any plant they had handled before. Apparently professor Cherry wasn't kidding when she'd told them that this year was going to be a lot more challenging. And potentially deadly, Hiccup thought to himself. He was going to be seriously pissed off if he was killed by a plant…that was an uneventful death, if he ever heard of one. If that happened, he would definitely be coming back to haunt the greenhouses. The Venemous Tentacula was a green, spiky plant with strong moving vines that could grab you and try to strangle you. It could spray venom from its shoots and the spikes on its vines were deadly if they broke skin and spread their poison. It also had a very strange, creepy mouth that could bite you, which was also fatal. All in all, it was a definitely a fully developed killing machine. Fishlegs visibly paled next to him and Hiccup chuckled a little and patted his friend on the back a few times in a reassuring gesture.

Professor Cherry used the first 15 minutes explaining how to tend to a Venomous Tentacula so it would grow quickly and develop a lot of leaves and thorns, which were the ingredients from the plant mainly used for potions. However, the venom was also a potent ingredient, and their task today was to extract a vial of it. Well, that wasn't suicidal at all Hiccup thought to himself in amusement.

She continued to inform them about the plants abilities and dangers, as well as different methods to handle these risks, when you needed to pick certain areas of the plant. Apparently Diffindo and stunning spells were the most effective spells against it. She had told them that they'd need to work in teams of three, as the handling of this particular plant was going to be very difficult, not to mention risky. Afterwards she had temporarily excused herself for a few minutes, as she needed to help the caretaker haul the nasty plants into the greenhouse.

"Don't worry Fish, we're going to get through it together, okay?" Hiccup told his large blonde friend in a confident tone that he hoped would quell the larger Viking's anxiety.

"Uhh, Hiccup…Do you know how dangerous Venemous Tentaculas are?" Fishlegs asked nervously and hesitantly, not taking his eyes off the example of the plant that professor Cherry had taken out.

"Well, yeah?...But like I said, we'll do it together. Nothing bad is going to happen" He said calmly, determined to ease his friend's troubles. He quickly glanced at Rapunzel, who was also looking slightly nervous, her green eyes darting back and forth from the plant and her two friends. Not that he could blame them. It _would_ be risky dealing with those particularly diabolical examples of flora.

"But…it's….it's deadly" Fishlegs argued with obvious distress in his blue eyes.

"Yeah, but you heard the professor…we're going to be working in teams of three, so you, me and Rapunzel can be a team…Look…I'll deal with the plant, and you and Rapunzel be ready to attack it if it tries anything"

Fishlegs let out a breath that he had apparently been holding. "Really?" he asked, as if Hiccup's offer was too good to be true.

"Sure, don't worry about it, Fish" he smiled fondly at his Viking friend, who beamed at him in response, a sudden transformation from the obvious anxiety that had marred his face only a few moments ago. Rapunzel also seemed more at ease, as he'd volunteered to handle the plant. It was a strange balance with Fishlegs sometimes, when it came to the large blonde's fears and concerns. He was a big, strong guy and Hiccup knew that he could defend himself if he needed to. He'd seen Fishlegs fight plenty of times back at Berk during training sessions, and he'd helped Hiccup and the other dragon riders defend the island against enemies several times as well. Somehow though, those experiences and skills didn't quell Fishlegs' nervous nature, as he still became anxious at signs of danger or conflict. He would always do his best to avoid any conflicts or hazardous situations. Right now, Hiccup was just glad that it had made his friends relieved, when he'd volunteered to handle the murderous psychopathic plant. Sure, it wasn't exactly something he was looking forward to, but on the other hand he'd definitely rather deal with it himself, than risk getting Rapunzel or Fishlegs hurt. Which they might, seeing as they had been two bundles of nerves before he'd volunteered, and this plant seemed like something that would require a calm and collected strategy.

"Just be careful, okay Hiccup? This is going to be more dangerous than anything we've done before in this class" Rapunzel said gently, watching him with those concerned, affectionate green eyes. She always worried so much about him and Fishlegs, although in this particular situation her concern might be justified.

"Of course. I'm always careful, right?" he said cheekily and winked at her.

His bubbly blonde friend scoffed. "Try "no"? You're definitely more reckless than you should be". Somehow, he'd known Rapunzel would say something like that. He chuckled in his thoughts. She wasn't a fan of anything that put him in any kind of danger, like some of his more…experimental drills with Toothless or potentially dangerous inventions or intense battle training that could cause serious injuries. That never stopped him though and she knew that. It was a part of who he was. He always tried his best to be smart about it though. There was no need to add risk to already risky endeavors.

Hiccup waved one of his hands in a dismissive gesture. "Come on, I'm not that bad". He was though, they both knew it, but he wasn't about to admit that right now.

"Yeah, you are" Rapunzel said and ruffled his hair in a friendly teasing gesture.

"Aww, how cute" the three Ravenclaws heard a familiar, malicious voice say. Oh great, Hiccup thought to himself in annoyance. He sighed, before training his eye on that particularly nasty, blonde, tall Slytherin that he knew the voice belonged to.

Jarvis, Know and Kinney were standing across from the table from them and snickered mockingly. Jarvis was leaning slightly against the edge of the table, and watched Hiccup and his friends with a self-satisfied smirk.

"The ugly nerd falls for the naïve, stupid little girl. I didn't you two were a thing now, Haddock…A bit of a surprise I must say. I didn't know you were attracted to slow children…but I guess everyone has their type" the Slytherin finished and crossed his arms in some kind of malicious triumph, as if he was congratulating himself on his comment. Hiccup felt the anger rise inside him, swirling violently in his gut, and he clenched his fists. He didn't care if Jarvis or anyone else insulted him, but they were speaking horribly of one of his best friends, and he was so sick of it. They'd thrown their condescending, mocking remarks at Rapunzel for years, and his patience was really beginning to run out. He took a deep breath. He needed to remain calm right now. As usual, it was no use escalating the situation.

Rapunzel's face immediately fell, and she stared at the ground. She wasn't very good at handling bullies, usually she just tried to ignore them the best she could. Luckily she didn't have any classes alone with these three Slytherins, which Hiccup was incredibly grateful for.

"Just shut up and leave her alone, Jarvis" Hiccup said, his voice steady but with a deadly trace of a warning, as he met the eyes of the Slytherin across from him with quiet confidence. Out of the corner of his eye he could see Fishlegs' gaze darting back and forth from Hiccup to the three guys.

"Oooh, and who is going to make me, Haddock? I can do whatever I want to your pathetic, weak little friend" the blonde Slytherin snarled and then chuckled. Know and Kinney both smirked in amusement at their friend's remark.

Oh Hel no….There was no way that that cruel, petty jerk was going to get anywhere near Rapunzel or bother her in any way. He shot a quick glance at the blonde girl, who was still eying the floor intently, hugging herself as if shielding her body from the cruel words. He instinctively took one step closer to her.

"What's the matter with you? You need a hug or something?" Hiccup asked Jarvis mockingly, his brow furrowed, and his head slightly tilted in a questioning manner.

There was a little truth behind his words though. You always hear that cliché "bullies only bully because they feel bad about themselves", but Hiccup wasn't sure if that was true in all cases. It was definitely the reason behind a lot of bullying, but in other situations it seemed like there might be other factors influencing it. He wasn't certain of Jarvis' motivations for being such an unpleasant jerk. He had no idea if he was beaten up by his dad, abandoned by his mum, if he had been bullied himself in the past and was desperately trying to avoid being a victim now, or if he was just a sociopath who couldn't feel emotions such as regret or empathy and therefore had no problems stepping on others to make himself appear strong. No matter the reason, there was no excuse for his cruel behavior. Sure, unpleasant experiences in a bully's past could definitely help explain, _why _they were acting that way, but it would never make it acceptable in his opinion.

"You think you're so special, don't you? You think you're so clever, the teachers love you, the girls think you're some kind of hero…Well, listen you little shit, no one cares about you, no one likes you, they just pretend to like that little ugly nerd you are inside, so why don't you sink down into a hole in the ground where you belong?" Jarvis replied menacingly and clenched his jaw. His two Slytherin friends snickered from behind him, clearly amused by their friend's verbal attack.

"Did you come all the way over here just for my hurt feelings? 'Cause I think I left them in my other pants" Hiccup retorted dryly and patted both his pockets a few times with his hands for extra effect. Sure, he couldn't deny that hostile words always stung a little, even when they came from someone like Jarvis, but there was no way in Hel he was going to let the Slytherin get to him. The best strategy was definitely to appear calm, like their comments didn't matter. Which they didn't, but it was still difficult to control his anger sometimes. He was genuinely a calm, peaceful guy but if someone was hostile to Rapunzel or Fishlegs, he definitely had a temper. He shot a quick look at Fishlegs' who was shuffling his feet anxiously and fidgeting with his hands, obvious signs of just how uncomfortable he was in this situation.

"You're such a goddamn pathetic loser, Haddock. You think you can hide behind that sarcasm shit, and no one will notice just how weak and lame you really are?" Jarvis spat, his nose crinkled and his brow furrowed in a look of pure disgust. Well, the feeling's mutual, you sorry heap of Zippleback shit, Hiccup thought to himself. He truly loathed Jarvis, as the blonde Slytherin practically appeared to get off on making others suffer. It seemed like some sort of sick justification for his actions.

"Oh, you don't like my sarcasm? It took me many years of dealing with assholes to become this good at it" Hiccup retorted with his face in perfectly neutral folds and his voice calm and unwavering. He crossed his arms defiantly and continued to watch the three Slytherins in front of him with a piercing, analyzing gaze. He was standing his ground no matter what.

"Watch your mouth, Haddock. Unlike me, you and your friends will always be pathetic losers" Jarvis growled angrily and his cold grey eyes had basically turned to slits now in obvious hostility.

Hiccup felt his blood boil, and he had to restrain himself from doing something drastic that he would regret later. He narrowed his eyes at the blonde boy in a cold, threatening manner.

"We don't like being cruel assholes to people and you do. Please tell me how that makes_ us_ losers…And by please tell me, I mean piss_ off_" Hiccup spat at the Slytherin and his sudden transition from neutral to angry apparently caught the blonde boy slightly off guard, as he took a few moments to observe Hiccup with narrowed, contemplating eyes, as if he was considering whether or not to continue this heated exchanged of words. Good. Hiccup wasn't going to back down from this, so he was hoping that Jarvis would do just that soon. Being in conflict with jerks like them was always exhausting and he was getting seriously irritated every time he had to deal with someone like Jarvis…or McGowan for that matter. He simply didn't understand why they couldn't just leave others alone? Yes, there would always be people who you'd dislike for some reason, but the obvious, easy solution to that problem was just to stay clear of them. There were people Hiccup really didn't like at all, but he would never be cruel to them or bother them in any way. How difficult was it to just stay away?

The decision of whether to continue the conflict was taken out of the Slytherin's hands, as professor Cherry and the caretaker entered the greenhouse, hauling a cart each filled with the menacing, twisting venomous plants. Each plant was contained inside a see-through box to avoid any students being attacked by it when they would transport it to their side of the greenhouse. The three Slytherins left the three Ravenclaws and went back to the place on the further end of the greenhouse, where they'd been before they decided to bother them. Professor Cherry and the caretaker began carefully and in protective gear, to place one box after another on the large workstation.

Hiccup's eyes quickly met Fishlegs' gaze and the heavy blonde boy seemed to have relaxed now that the conflict was over. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Rapunzel still looking at the ground. He took a few steps to close the distance between him and the blonde girl, and he reached out and squeezed her shoulder gently, letting his hand rest on it afterwards.

"Are you okay?" he asked her soothingly and observed her defeated features intently.

"Yeah, I guess. Thanks for sticking up for me…again" she said genuinely but with a hint of sadness. She didn't meet his eyes, but that wasn't unusual after an encounter like this. She always felt vulnerable and exposed after being the subject of cold, harsh words and Hiccup really couldn't blame her. No one liked that kind of attention, and Rapunzel's sensitive nature made it especially difficult for her to handle such situations. She wasn't a pushover, he had seen her stand up for herself several times, but she struggled to handle actual bully-types who didn't hesitate to fight dirty, using every single low blow they could possibly think of.

"Any time. I'm always here for you" Hiccup replied and guided the blonde girl into a warm, comforting hug. He felt her wrap her slim hands around him, and he squeezed her a little for reassurance and stroked her soft, golden hair slowly a couple of times.

"I know…" Rapunzel whispered into his chest. In moments like this, Hiccup realized how much like a sister she really was to him, and as her 'big brother', he would never hesitate in defending her against anything that could harm her physically or emotionally. Much like Jack, Rapunzel had that child-like demeanor that caused her to openly embrace all of those traits associated with childhood…imagination, playfulness, wonder, dreams. Unlike Jack though, Rapunzel's personality had a certain vulnerability about it that invoked that protective streak in Hiccup. In that area, his golden-haired friend and the pale Gryffindor were definitely very different. Jack didn't seem vulnerable in anyway. He actually appeared to be the kind of person, who could handle almost anything and do it with a confident smile on his lips.

As they pulled apart, Rapunzel gave him a small but warm smile, her green eyes seeming a little brighter now. That was good. She really shouldn't spend time or energy worrying about petty, horrible Slytherins. He hated seeing that defeated look mar her gentle face and dim her bubbly spirit. His felt own lips tug upwards in an affectionate smile and he had to look down to meet those familiar green eyes of his golden-haired friend, as she was a good deal shorter than him, since he'd had his growth spurt.

"Every team grab three sets of protective gear and put them on before coming back to take a plant" professor Cherry's light and eager voice exclaimed to the students, and most of them didn't need to hear that twice. Students were brimming around the large workstations, grabbing protective gear, handing it to their teams and putting on their own set, the ruffling of long thick leather gloves, leather aprons and goggles invading the atmosphere. Fishlegs had grabbed three sets of safety gear for them and quickly made it back to their spot. They all quickly donned the protective items and Hiccup then made his way back to the workstation by their teacher to grab one of the plants. He leaned in and grabbed one of the large boxes containing a Venomous Tentacula and lifted it up into his arms. Despite not being terribly large, the plant weighed quite a bit. As he approached Fishlegs and Rapunzel with the dangerous cargo safely nestled in his grip, his two friends were eying the see-through box and the plant within with suspicion and anticipation. They both moved a few feet away, when he made it to their spot and put the box down with a thud on the large wooden surface.

"So…what do we do then?" Rapunzel asked hesitantly.

"Well…I guess there's nothing left to do but let the beast out" Hiccup said, and immediately opened the box and stepping a few feet back in case this plant was as temperamental as the professor's example.

"Wands ready" Hiccup told Fishlegs and Rapunzel and the two Ravenclaws instantly pulled out their wands and directed it at the thorny plant with matching looks of uncertainty.

Hiccup closed the short distance between him and the menacing plant that remained suspiciously still. He was definitely expecting an ambush as he reached out his leather-gloved arms towards it and the feeling of anticipation made his senses hyper-aware of any potential movement.

"Okay, stun it" He told his friends and they both complied instantly. The plant seemed to remain still as he came nearer, effectively stunned. He felt a little unease creep into his stomach about the unpredictability of this situation. Sure, the killing machine seemed to be still right now, but it could definitely be scheming something diabolical, as it waited for its chance to pounce.

He picked up one of the vials and set to extract some of the bright green venom from the temperamental plant. The stunning effect didn't last long however, as it suddenly sprang to life, as its thorny vines shot through the air at an amazing speed. There was no way Hiccup could have dodged it, and it wrapped itself tightly around his arm. Despite the protective gloves, he could feel it claw at his skin. He held the vial tightly in his hand, not wanting to drop it and remained calm, not trying to yank his arm away or yell. That would only panic Rapunzel and Fishlegs, and if this plant was as much a devil spawn as it seemed, it would probably only get more riled up by startled reactions.

Fishlegs and Rapunzel moved quickly and both cast a Diffindo spell on the plant, severing the vine that had its firm painful grip on Hiccup. The scorched vine landed gently on the greenhouse floor among specks of dirt and scattered leaves, and Hiccup quickly stepped a few feet away from his attacker.

"Are you okay?" Fishlegs quickly asked, looking him over as if he had some kind of serious injury that the larger Viking might have missed.

"Yeah, I'm fine" Hiccup replied. He could still feel several stinging jabs where the plant had stabbed him with its thorns, but luckily the gloves prevented it from breaking the skin and poisoning him. He quickly glanced around the greenhouse, where loud noises of panicky shouts, spell casting and angry outburst had suddenly filled the usually peaceful atmosphere of Herbology class. Apparently Hiccup was not the only one being attacked by the moody plants, far from it. Practically every team around them had either scorched or stunned the plant or was in the process of doing so to get it to release their fellow students.

"Help! Get it off!" A Slytherin girl with short black hair screamed in distress. This however, seemed to only make the situation worse as two more vines seized her arm. Professor Cherry had to assist the girl's teammates in getting the angry plant to release their friend.

The rest of the class passed in the same state of chaos. Hiccup approached the temperamental Venomous Tentacula several times after it had been stunned and he was attacked each time, until he had a clear idea of how it preferred to move and strike. He used this to his advantage the next time he came near it, and finally managed to be two steps ahead of it, grabbing several of its striking vines in a tight fist before it managed to curl around his arm, and used his other hand to quickly put the vial and extract the remaining venom from it. He quickly passed the last vial of green venom to Fishlegs, who took it and planted it on the rack, where the other filled vials were neatly placed.

"Stun it again" Hiccup told Rapunzel, who obliged instantly, causing the vines to droop and stop fighting him. He released his grip on them and quickly closed the box around it once more.

"We're done" He told his two friends, who both smiled in relief. This whole thing had been pretty stressful, he had to admit. Wrestling with an angry plant that could potentially kill him with its venom spews or thorns or strangle him to death had put him a little on edge.

As Hiccup removed the long leather gloves from his arms, a lot of long angry marks from the thorns were revealed, marring his skin with their angry red color.

"Wow…You look like you've been wrestling with a tiger or something" Rapunzel said in amusement but with a hint of concern as she examined his arms.

Hiccup chuckled in response. It was damn close to the truth. That moody, scheming hostile plant was practically as angry as any fierce tiger. At least tigers only attack you from behind, so you can prevent it a lot more efficiently, than with this piece of diabolical flora that had no hesitations in lunging right at you. Thank the gods that this class was finally over. Hopefully they would be dealing with something a little more docile next time.

~~~~ Jack ~~~~

Arithmancy had been a drag today, and Jack found his thoughts wandering, not being able to concentrate. He usually didn't mind the subject, but today he couldn't focus at all on the complex number charts that professor Keller was currently droning on about and illustrating on the blackboard. Why had he let Mavis talk him into taking this class at N.E.W.T level, again? He hadn't had a problem with it in earlier years, but it definitely seemed to have become a lot more advanced this year.

He shot a brief look at Mavis who was sitting next to him and eagerly scribbling notes while glancing back and forth from her notebook and the professor. He was definitely going to ask for a copy of her notes afterwards, as he hadn't written down a single thing. While he wasn't one of those types that wrote everything down the professors said, he usually did make a few notes on important things. Today though, he couldn't take in anything professor Keller was saying. It was like he understood the words, but they formed no coherent meaning in his brain, and right after the professor had finished a sentence, Jack had already forgotten what it was. He definitely should have taken Divination or Herbology instead. Hell, even that geeky Building, Managing and Repairing Magical Objects class that Hiccup seemed so fond of would be better than this. Jack might have no experience at all in building anything but snow forts and snowmen, but at least he would be able to joke around with Hiccup, if he'd taken that class.

He suddenly felt eyes burning into his skin and turned his head quickly to spot the culprit. A familiar face with blonde hair and sky blue eyes was watching him from a few rows of tables back. And by watching, he meant glaring daggers. Okay…what was Astrid's problem with him now?

He turned his attention back to professor Keller and desperately tried to focus on the words that were leaving the professor's mouth in hasty, complicated sentences that still made no sense to his distracted mind. He could feel Astrid's dissatisfied eyes lingering on him, but he deliberately ignored her. He was in no mood for her temperamental personality.

He was beyond relieved, when professor Keller finally dismissed them. He quickly threw his stuff in his grey backpack and slung it over one shoulder. Mavis carefully packed her own supplies into her brown leather satchel, being much more delicate and patient than Jack. As usual. They exited the old dusty classroom and walked together down one of the corridors, Jack whining about how much this class sucked and Mavis trying to reassure him that he would survive. He had a brief dejá vu to him and Merida in Potions. They soon had to part, as Mavis had to go to her Muggle Studies class and he had Defense against the Dark Arts. Mavis was from a long line of pureblood witches and wizards, so she found the muggle world fascinating. She often asked him, Flynn and Merida about muggle-related things that she didn't understand and wanted to know more about. When they'd first started at Hogwarts and became friends, Mavis would often look completely clueless when a reference to something from the muggle world was made, such as movie quotes or famous songs. Through the years though, she had become very well-versed in such things, as she had spent so much time with him, Flynn and Merida and also been to their houses during holidays several times.

As Jack strolled casually through the old stone passageway towards the Defense against the Dark Arts classroom, he met several people he knew and greeted them and waved at them, flashing them bright smiles. He briefly saw Liam pass him by and nudged his shoulder playfully and threw him a "Hey man", which was warmly returned with a toothy grin. Liam was one of his and Flynn's dormmates. He was a genuinely nice but slightly shy guy with an affinity for Astronomy and Divination. He was tall and lanky with black, semi-long hair, tanned skin and bright blue eyes. Unfortunately Jack didn't share many classes with him, except Potions and Care of Magical Creatures, but at least they managed to hang out once in a while in the common room and the dormitory.

As Jack continued on his way through the sea of students brimming through the halls towards their classes, Olivia Davies, a Ravenclaw in the year below Jack, quickly handed him a note and scurried away, barely looking at him at all. An amused smirk immediately graced his lips, as he already knew what was happening. He unfolded the note as he continued to walk in a relaxed pace towards his destination, his blue eyes scanning the words on the crinkled piece of paper. The message was short and simple:

_"Hi Jack. I really like you a lot, you're great. Just wanted to let you know. Olivia"_

He smiled warmly, not stopping his stroll towards his class. It was a nice, honest message, not too sugary-sweet or too vulgar and direct. He didn't know Olivia very well, having only talked a little bit with her a few times during their years at Hogwarts, but she seemed like a nice, down to earth girl. He didn't see her as anything other than an acquaintance though, and he was fairly certain that he never would. He folded the note and stuffed it into the pocket of his robes. He had a class to get to.

~~~~ Hiccup ~~~~

Defense against the Dark Arts had been more demanding today than usual, as professor Bunnymund had decided to give them a surprise test. They'd only been back at Hogwarts for about a week, but the stern, Australian professor wasted no time in examining their ability to pay attention in his class. He had made it clear that now that they were N.E.W.T students, they needed to up their game and be prepared to do a lot more work. That had earned the professor a quiet whine from Jack, which caused Hiccup's lips to twitch in amusement. The class was divided in two parts of 20 minutes and a break of five minutes in between. As Hiccup focused all his attention on the parchment with questions lying in front of him on the dark wooden table, he scraped his quill across the paper, formulating the correct answers in steady, even letters. The test wasn't that bad as most of the questions were easily answered, but there were a few questions where a little doubt snuck into his thoughts, and he found himself reconsidering his answers carefully, recalling the knowledge he had gained in this class. Jack was sitting next to him, and Hiccup could practically feel the boredom radiate off the pale Gryffindor, as he twirled his quill incessantly, sighed deeply and ruffled his snow-white hair.

As the five minute break came, Jack wasted no time in complaining. Instead of whining to Merida and Flynn though, he turned his attention towards Hiccup.

"Hiccuuuuup" he whined pathetically, his eyes closed for a few seconds as if he was in physical pain.

"Yeah Jack?" He replied, repressing a chuckle at the other teen's distress. It was quite amusing to watch Jack be all whiny and frustrated like this. Somehow the pale teen's whole child-like demeanor really appealed to Hiccup. It was sort of…liberating to be around someone who just embraced that side of themselves and protected it against the realities of growing up, without wondering if anyone found it strange.

"I'm not sure I'm going to survive this" Jack continued to complain, his whole body drooping, as he stared emptily at the table in front of him. Jack definitely had dramatic flair. Not that he ever doubted that. Even though they only recently began hanging out together, he'd seen the guy do countless pranks through the years, start snowball fights, run and scream loudly in amusement through the hallways chasing people and so on. Jack had no problem putting on a show, no matter if it was just for a friend to gain some sympathy or the entire school to get some fun going. It was an essential part of who he was, and Hiccup found himself appreciating that side more and more.

"Can I have your stuff when you die?" Hiccup deadpanned, trying to get the other boy to cheer up a little.

"Wow that's cold…You don't even care that I'm going to die, Hic" Jack pouted and crossed his arms, reminding Hiccup of a child who wasn't allowed to get a lollypop.

"No not really" he replied casually, earning him a scowl from the pale Gryffindor, who nudged him hard in the shoulder. Ouch, that hurt. Damn pale Gryffindor leaving bruises on his skin.

"Pfft…you should be concerned too, you know. I'm pretty sure this test is an elaborate plot to murder us with boredom and frustration" Jack explained, while gesturing wildly with his hands to illustrate the sinister scheme. There was that dramatic flair again, Hiccup thought and chuckled mentally.

"Actually all the students here are in on it. You're the only one we're trying to murder" Hiccup replied with as much sass as he could muster to get a reaction from Jack. He heard Merida and Flynn snicker.

"What? Curse your sudden but inevitable betrayal!" Jack said dramatically, shaking a fist at him.

"Sheesh, relax…I was only trying to murder you. Don't be such a drama queen" Hiccup rolled his eyes.

"Well, maybe murder is an everyday occurrence for a Viking, but for a good-looking, intelligent, fantastic guy like me, it's not common to be subjected to such brutal schemes" Jack replied with that smug, arrogant façade that Hiccup had already come to find familiar. Not to mention highly amusing.

"Better get used to it then, Snowflake."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Oh nothing, nothing…" Hiccup said in an overly innocent fashion. Then he smirked evilly, rubbing his hands together slowly in a menacing gesture.

"It's always the quiet ones that turn out to be psychopaths that cut your hair off while you're sleeping and then wear it as a wig, isn't it?" Jack asked, earning him chuckles from Merida and an amused "So true" from Flynn.

"Don't worry, I'm not like that…" Hiccup started dismissively. "I mean, a wig, honestly? Total waste of hair…It would make nice pillow stuffing though" he finished and watched Jack's hair in mock contemplation, trying to bait him into getting riled up.

"What?! Don't you dare use these perfect white locks for a damn pillow, you lowly Viking".

Aaaand, it worked Hiccup thought to himself in amusement. It was odd how their playful banter had already become so familiar to him. Even though they'd only hung out together for a few days, he found that it would be strange if their sarcastic, humorous exchange of words suddenly stopped and things went back to the way they were before. Hiccup had to admit that he really enjoyed spending time with Jack and that he hoped they could continue doing that.

Hiccup scoffed, but he felt the corners of his lips quirk upwards. "Don't flatter yourself. There's plenty of yak hair that would be softer and nicer than your frosty tresses" he retorted dryly.

Merida snickered, and Jack gave her an evil glare. "Well, he's got you there" she said and shrugged.

"No, he hasn't" Jack said indignantly. "Are you honestly saying that my hair can be compared to goddamn yak hair?" Jack asked Hiccup in disbelief.

"Well, maybe there are some differences…." Hiccup began hesitantly, his brow furrowed as if he was in deep contemplation.

"That's better" Jack said with a confident smirk and crossed his arms, as if he had just won a huge argument.

"I mean…yaks are brown after all…but…maybe an albino yak?" Hiccup finished innocently with the tiniest of smirks tugging at his lips. Merida couldn't contain her laughter, as Jack looked baffled for a few seconds, a look of pure disbelief evident on his features. That was seriously a hilarious look on him. It wasn't often that he was left temporarily speechless. Hiccup found himself thinking that this should happen more often. Note to self: work on doing more surprising retorts that can shut the notorious prankster up.

"Damn Scotsmen…damn Vikings…can't even appreciate a beautiful head of hair" Jack pouted and crossed his arms in protest.

"Aww, are you pouting, big baby boo?" Hiccup cooed and he relished the angry scowl he received from the pale Gryffindor. That was another really amusing look on Jack, as it was such a stark contrast to his usual, childish, carefree demeanor.

Jack scoffed. "You know, that wall of impenetrable sarcasm can't protect you forever from your obvious adoration of me"

Hiccup heard Flynn and Merida snort in unison.

"Right" Hiccup drawled. "What do you suggest I do then, oh magnificent Jack?"

"Well…You need to move on and forget about me. We can only be friends, Hiccup. You need to realize that" Jack said in mock seriousness, his face in pained folds. Oh that cheeky Snowflake, Hiccup thought to himself. He was trying to get the upper hand in this banter-battle. Well, two could play that game.

"It's pretty difficult to forget about you when I constantly see things that remind me of you…like pet rats or owl shit" Hiccup deadpanned. Merida and Flynn instantly roared with laughter next to him, and Jack couldn't contain his own sputtering either, which made Hiccup feel oddly content. He watched the three Gryffindors' laughter fit with amusement, as it lasted for a few minutes, before they once again got themselves under control, almost breathless from giggles and sputtering. He felt really happy and satisfied that he could make them laugh like that, it was great to watch, and he instantly felt a little closer to them than just a moment ago.

"Aww, you need some water for that burn, Jack?" Flynn asked the pale teen, rubbing Jack's shoulder in a comforting and teasing gesture.

"No need, Flynn. I'll get back at him later" Jack said menacingly and narrowed his eyes in mock threat towards Hiccup. He smirked at the Gryffindor in a combination of amusement and challenge. Jack could just bring it on, he'd be ready for anything the prankster would try to throw at him, he thought to himself in amusement.

The second half of the test was uneventful, and Hiccup finished the questions before time had run out. The last part of the test had been standard questions on the basilisk and the acromantula, which he didn't have any problems with. Judging from Jack's less frequent sighs and impatient gestures, it seemed that the Gryffindor didn't struggle with this part either. As he waited for class to be over, he continued working on the sketch that he had started a few days ago. It was a drawing of Fishlegs and Rapunzel studying in one of the courtyards. It was nowhere near finished, but he had a good feeling about it. He gently traced his pencil across the paper, creating the illusion of the soft texture of Rapunzel's long hair. He suddenly felt eyes on him and turned his head only to meet the familiar blue eyes of Jack. The Gryffindor lowered his gaze and observed Hiccup's sketch, only to flash him a bright smile. Hiccup's own lips twitched at the happy look on Jack's face. Apparently he liked his sketch, which for some reason made Hiccup feel oddly warm and content.

~~~~ Jack ~~~~

In an unusual twist, the four Gryffindors and the three Ravenclaws found themselves all hanging out together. After class, Merida had suggested that they'd go relax by the lake to get some fresh air after a whole day of remaining indoors, and Jack couldn't have agreed more. His head was throbbing from the lack of clean, cool air and the exposure to the suffocating, clingy warmth that always appeared when many students were in the same room together.

He had decided to ask Hiccup if they could ditch their planned study session today, if he and Fishlegs and Rapunzel wanted to join them and the Ravenclaw had agreed, clearly also wanting to come outside for a while after a long day of classes. Jack had made sure to whisper to his friends that they shouldn't ask Hiccup anything dragon-related, and they agreed without complaints. They understood that it was a sensitive topic for the Ravenclaw and they didn't want to make him uncomfortable.

They agreed to do a quick change of clothes in their respective dormitories. After a long, hard day of school, it was always such a pleasant feeling get out of the school uniform and throw on something more comfortable. Jack had chosen to wear a soft, cotton dark blue T-shirt and his favorite blue hoodie with the frost pattern. He also threw on some dark brown skinny jeans and his dark blue Converse. He didn't need a coat due to his high tolerance of cold, but his three friends all wore warm jackets. After the quick trip back to the dormitories, the Gryffindors made it to the lake, where they found a nice spot by the water's edge and spread out several warm, thick blankets on the ground. Sure, there were benches and tables several places by the lake, by the four Gryffindors had always preferred sitting on the ground on a nice, soft blanket. They felt more relaxed that way, as they could easily shift their positions between sitting and lying down whenever they wanted.

After they had found a nice spot by the lake, spread out the blankets on the ground, and sat down comfortably, they spotted the three familiar Ravenclaws approaching. Just like Jack, neither Hiccup nor Fishlegs wore jackets, and Jack briefly remembered when Hiccup told him that he was used to the cold, because Berk had chilly weather most of the year. Now that Jack knew that they were Vikings, it was suddenly a bit strange to see them in modern clothes. Hiccup wore a simple loose long sleeved shirt with black and dark green stripes, loose dark brown jeans and a pair of dark green Converse, while Fishlegs had a thick, dark brown knitted sweater on, grey trousers and a pair of brown boots. Rapunzel looked very warm and comfy in a long, thick dark purple wooly coat, a white scarf, grey tights and short black boots.

To Jack's surprise there was no actual awkwardness between the seven teens. Sure, at first Fishlegs and Rapunzel were a bit hesitant to join in, but they quickly overcame that as Jack and his friends would ask them questions and direct friendly comments at them to get them to feel comfortable and also to learn more about them. Jack was pretty sure that it had become evident to his friends that he wanted to hang out with Hiccup on a regular basis, and that meant also getting to know Hiccup's friends a bit. Not that Jack minded. Fishlegs and Rapunzel both seemed like genuinely nice, caring people and they had a good sense of humor too, which became clear whenever they chuckled or laughed at the banter between Jack and his friends. They also did some of their own bantering, which was how Jack had come to learn that Fishlegs' became angry with Hiccup in his sleep whenever the brunet responded to his strange, sleeping ramblings, and that Rapunzel seemed to love drawing her chameleon in all sorts of weird situations like skateboarding or waterskiing.

Jack wasn't sure at all how the conversation had ended up on weapons and violence, but he had a feeling that Merida had something to do with that. Currently she was questioning Hiccup and Fishlegs on Viking weapons, and whether they had brought any to Hogwarts that she could see. Jack chuckled and shook his head slowly to himself.

"No, Hogwarts is pretty strict about bringing weapons to school…they were certain to mention that _several _times in our acceptance letters" Hiccup replied and laughed genuinely at the memory, soon joined by Fishlegs.

"Yeah" the blonde Viking boy chirped. "They must have been scared to death that the terrible Vikings would come to the castle with our trunks packed full of battleaxes and swords".

Jack could imagine older, bigger Vikings chucking Hiccup's and Fishlegs bags full of weapons of different kinds, not thinking they would ever need anything else. He smiled at the thought.

"They were probably right to be." Rapunzel chimed in. "Knowing you two…you" she pointed at Fishlegs "would have brought your favorite dagger and mace, probably ending up accidentally mutilating someone in a paranoia fit…and you" she pointed at Hiccup "would have brought that crossbow shield and probably several other inventions and weapons that would have ended up poking someone's eye out or setting the dormitory on fire" she finished with a twinkle of humor in her eyes, crossing her arms defiantly.

The other teens chuckled at the blonde girls comment. Considering how accident-prone Hiccup was, the scenarios were definitely plausible in Jack's opinion. He didn't know Fishlegs very well, but he could definitely imagine him causing some kind of accident due to his nervous nature, if he thought he was being attacked by a serial killer or something like that.

"Sure, just make us sound like crazy, uncoordinated, violent psychopaths" Hiccup deadpanned. Jack wouldn't ever admit it to Hiccup or Fishlegs, but that was how he typically imagined Vikings, before he got to know the two boys. Now though, the idea seemed pretty ridiculous.

"Aren't all Vikings?" Rapunzel provoked and stuck her tongue out.

"No!" Hiccup and Fishlegs objected in unison, both looking slightly offended.

Jack and the other teens laughed at their expressions. Rapunzel had really hit a nerve there, Jack thought.

"Calm down you two. You know I was only kidding" Rapunzel clarified, smiling widely.

"Well, when you come to Berk, you should probably keep that sort of comments to yourself" Fishlegs declared with amusement in his clear, blue eyes. Rapunzel was going to Berk? Jack wondered to himself. Well, Hiccup and Rapunzel _had _told him that it was a possibility in December, "if the time was right". Apparently they had decided that it was.

"Of course, Fish! Come on, you know me. I'm not socially inept….I'm not…_Hiccup_" she enunciated the brunet Vikings name and pointed at him.

"What!? Oh come_ on_…." Hiccup groaned, while the other teens burst out laughing. Jack grinned widely, not being able to contain it. "I'm not _that_ bad" Hiccup finished. '_Yeah you are'_ Jack thought jokingly, but kept it to himself. Hiccup was definitely socially challenged, except with people he felt comfortable around for some reason. Somehow though, it just made him more intriguing to Jack. Maybe it was because Hiccup was a guarded person, who didn't just open up to anyone. It would take time to get to know him, to gain his trust, to see all the complex layers beneath the sarcastic exterior.

Rapunzel scooted closer to Hiccup, closing the distance between them and wrapped her arms around the boy, hugging him gently from her sitting position.

"No…you...are...not" she said, smiling. "But I still like to mess with you". She ruffled his hair.

Hiccup smiled fondly at his long-haired friend, as they parted again and Rapunzel grinned in response. Jack could almost feel the tender friendship radiate off Rapunzel and Hiccup in that moment. They seemed to be incredibly close, almost like siblings.

"You're going to Berk?" Jack inquired. He already felt slightly envious, even though he would never admit it. He definitely wanted to go to Berk, even though it wasn't possible. It would be so awesome to see the Vikings, the dragons, experience the traditions and the harsh weather. Everything. Rapunzel was lucky to be able to do that.

"Yeah, Fishlegs and Hiccup invited me to Berk for Christmas" she said happily, seeming almost ready to burst with joy. Jack smiled at her. He had already taken an instant liking to Rapunzel's bubbly nature.

"_Jól*_" Hiccup corrected her with a friendly smile.

"Oh right, sorry…" Rapunzel remarked to the confusion of the rest of the teens. At their puzzled expressions, Rapunzel continued. "These guys don't celebrate Christmas". She pointed at Fishlegs and Hiccup.

"You don't?" Flynn asked surprised as if the idea of not celebrating Christmas was almost unfathomable.

"No, why would we? We're Vikings, and Christmas is a Christian tradition" Hiccup explained. "But jól is similar in some ways".

"Yeah" Fishlegs chimed in, excitedly. "There's a huge feast with a whole _smörgåsbord*_ of food and all the mead you can drink! And then we do the_ blót*_, pray to the Gods and then drink the night away, celebrating." Jack had to admit that that sounded like a lot of fun, even though he would never give up Christmas. The holiday meant so much to him, especially now that he had been able to replace the pained memories he used to have of Christmas with new, happy ones. Still though…a wild party filled with drunk Vikings = awesomeness!

"That sounds great!" Flynn exclaimed happily. "Except for the parts I didn't understand at all".

"Don't worry" Rapunzel said. "You get used to it".

"What are you celebrating then?" Mavis wanted to know, obviously eager to learn more about Viking culture.

"That the worst of winter is over, so the days will be lighter and the weather milder. Although it's also a celebration of peace and fertility" Fishlegs explained in an over-excited tone that he seemed to get, whenever he had to explain something he cared about to someone.

Jack chuckled. "Well Rapunzel, you're going to fit in great among a large group of burly, bearded, drunk Vikings".

The blonde girl just smiled. "It sounds fun doesn't it?" she asked, and he quickly agreed. They all did actually. Hiccup and Fishlegs smiled with pride.

"Well, even if you don't celebrate Christmas, you should see Christmas at Jack's house" Flynn said joyously, obviously reminiscing.

"What's it like?" Hiccup asked curiously, tilting his head a bit to the side.

"Oh it's great!" Merida exclaimed happily, throwing her hands up. "There's lights and decorations everywhere! There's always Christmas music playing, there's a huge beautiful tree in the livingroom, freshly baked cookies and other goodies, and Jack's dad always arranges a bunch of fun things for us to do" the red-head finished, barely containing her enthusiasm.

Mavis quickly nodded and joined in. "Yeah, and don't tell anyone, but Jack's dad is actually Santa Claus" she whispered jokingly, while looking from side to side as if she was revealing some great secret.

"He totally is!" Merida agreed, and Flynn agreed with a concluding "Definitely".

"Uh, okay…" Rapunzel started, while Hiccup smiled knowingly and Fishlegs furrowed his brow in confusion.

Jack smirked. "They're just kidding" he explained.

"No, we're not…He's huge, he's jolly, he loves everything about Christmas, he owns a toy factory for crying out loud!" Flynn said, objecting to Jack's dismissive comment, earning him several chuckles from the three Ravenclaws.

"And he's Russian" Mavis added and was about to elaborate, when their conversation was interrupted by two giggling girls approaching them.

Jack observed them, frowning. He knew one of them, Jane Glass, a fifth year from Hufflepuff with long, smooth brown hair and deep chocolate brown eyes. She had a pretty face with a small, narrow nose, full rosy lips and perfectly sculpted eyebrows that seemed to enhance the rich color of her eyes. Jack didn't recognize the other girl, but she was pretty as well. She seemed to a fifth year too, with smooth pale skin, thick black hair that was pulled back in a loose braid and sky-blue eyes, that somehow reminded Jack of Astrid.

The two girls stopped giggling as they reached Hiccup, who looked at them with confusion, furrowing his brow. The girls both said "Hi Hiccup" while smiling brightly at him. Hiccup gave them a small smile and said "Hi", but he was definitely already a little uncomfortable with this situation. The two girls proceeded to hand him a small note each, before quickly walking away giggling, linking their arms together and whispering to each other. Jack felt a knot form in his stomach and irritation seemed to infect his thoughts, as he looked at the two girls' backs as they walked away. He didn't know Jane well and he didn't know the other girl at all, and yet he strongly disliked them now. Where were these negative feelings coming from? He ended up concluding that it was simply because he wanted to protect Hiccup. He didn't like that kind of attention, couldn't they see that?

Hiccup immediately handed the notes to Fishlegs, who took them and unfolded them. Rapunzel scooted closer to the heavy boy and leaned in to observe the notes, their eyes scanning across the words on the pages.

"You're not going to read them"? Flynn asked confused. Hiccup shook his head.

"No" he simply replied, not offering any explanation. Jack was confused by this. Why wouldn't he want to know what it said? Jack always read the notes he received from girls, not being able to contain his curiosity. Sometimes the notes would give him a nice ego boost from the obvious compliments, sometimes they would make him cringe if the message was particularly sugary sweet or cliché. Still though…he couldn't imagine not reading them. His natural curiosity would definitely get the better of him.

"Why?" Flynn pressed on, expressing Jack's own thoughts.

"I don't need to know what it says. Fishlegs and Rapunzel take the notes, read them, and let me know if there's anything important in there. If not they throw them out" Hiccup explained. Jack felt slightly smug at those words, though he wasn't sure where it was coming from. Even though Hiccup's method of dealing with the notes had confused him, it made sense now that the brunet explained it. He was definitely the type of person who would feel all shy and uneasy by strangers hitting on him, so it seemed better to just avoid it.

Suddenly Fishlegs began coughing, a red flush appearing on his face, while Rapunzel chuckled amused. Fishlegs slowly lowered the notes, looking flustered and embarrassed.

Flynn immediately burst out laughing. "It's that juicy, huh?" he asked Hiccup's two friends, as his lips changed into a knowing smirk. Jack had recognized Fishlegs' and Rapunzel's reactions as well. Both he and Flynn knew what kind of things could be in that kind of note. He didn't like the thought of it now though.

Hiccup groaned, putting his face in his hands for a few seconds, causing everyone to chuckle. He was seriously way too uncomfortable in his own skin, Jack thought to himself with equal amounts of amusement and a certain friendly affection.

Fishlegs crumbled the notes and put them in his pocket, not having a trashcan around. Rapunzel put a hand on Hiccup's shoulder, while the brunet Viking looked up once again, letting his hands fall to his sides.

"Come on, Hiccup, you should be thrilled that pretty girls like that are finding you irresistible" Flynn said casually, causing Merida and Mavis to roll their eyes. Jack felt a slight annoyance at his friend's words. Not that Flynn was wrong as such, but he knew Hiccup better than that now. He didn't like that kind of attention. It made him uncomfortable.

"Yeah, well, I'm not" Hiccup merely stated, crossing his arms. Jack felt satisfied with that answer for some reason, and like his earlier dislike for the girls that approached Hiccup, it confused him. He tried to push these thoughts away like he had done previously. He liked Hiccup, and he obviously didn't want him to be distressed, which he quickly became whenever strangers approached him this way. He wanted to somehow shield the brunet from the self-consciousness and awkwardness that followed these encounters.

"Those girls didn't care about Hiccup before" Rapunzel said softly. "All they're interested in is getting close to the famous dragon trainer". She sighed in annoyance, while observing the other teens around her. Jack definitely agreed with that observation. It was pretty obvious that all Hiccup's new fangirls had some kind of agenda.

"Yeah, they clearly have motives that are…less than genuine" Fishlegs said, unknowingly agreeing with Jack's thoughts, while training his blue eyes on his brunet friend with sympathy. Hiccup nodded in response.

"Yeah, I kind of wish they'd stop and just go back to ignoring me" Hiccup said almost longingly while briefly focusing his green eyes on the blue surface of the lake.

"Well…fangirls can be kind of intimidating sometimes" Flynn said and Jack quickly hummed in agreement. He clearly remembered a few years ago when a blonde Hufflepuff named Amanda constantly followed him around, put tons of notes in his bag and even took pictures of him. That was slightly disturbing. Luckily for Jack, she transferred to Beauxbatons.

"All girls are intimidating to Hiccup" Fishlegs said in amusement, earning him several chuckles from the other teens. Rapunzel squeezed Hiccup's shoulder in a teasing manner, while smiling brightly at him.

"Hardy har har, laugh it up, _l_ǫ_ngubak_" Hiccup said dryly, rolling his eyes.

"Oh I will, _burlufotr_" Fishlegs responded with a toothy, amused smile.

While the two Vikings boys were grinning at each other, the four Gryffindors' confused expressions didn't go unnoticed by Rapunzel, who took it upon herself to offer an explanation.

"They like to offend each other in old norse as some kind of show of affection…" she explained warmly. "Fishlegs likes to call Hiccup "clumsy foot" and Hiccup calls him "fishbelly"

"Wait, so you guys actually speak old norse?" Jack asked impressed. Well, now that he thought about it, he should have realized that, since Hiccup wrote in runes. Somehow though, he hadn't even thought about it that way. He smirked as he thought about Hiccup's nickname…clumsy foot. Well, it definitely fit in a friendly, teasing way.

"Well, yeah. All the Vikings in the archipelago do...although there are different dialects" Hiccup replied with a small smile on his lips. Fishlegs nodded next to him.

"That is awesome" Jack said enthused and Flynn hummed in agreement. It really was though. How many people could speak old norse? Almost no one. Outside the archipelago it was probably limited to academic scholars.

"Yeah, I wish I could speak an ancient language" Mavis added.

"So do you speak it when you're back home?" Jack asked curiously, wanting to know more about this.

Hiccup nodded. "Yeah…We mostly speak English but with a mix of old norse amongst ourselves. Knowing the language isn't really for any practical purpose, but it's very deeply ingrained in our culture"

"Yeah, it's important to all Vikings to preserve our traditions and language, so we need to make sure to use it once in a while, so we get our practice" Fishlegs added.

"That makes sense" Mavis said and nodded.

"Do you guys learn how to fight?" Merida asked, her blue eyes gleaming with interest. Jack chuckled mentally. Typical Merida, although he had to admit that he was also interested in the answer to that question.

"Yeah, fighting skills are a pretty essential part of Viking culture, so we begin training when we're very young" Hiccup explained and Fishlegs nodded in agreement next to him. Jack wondered how good Hiccup and Fishlegs were with weapons. It'd be pretty cool if they had serious skills.

"I wish my mum would let me learn how to fight, but she doesn't think it's appropriate for a girl to learn stuff like that" Merida complained, rolling her eyes. "I'm already taking archery classes during the summer holidays, but that's difficult enough to hide from her. She's like a hawk sometimes" the wild-haired girl groaned, earning her sympathetic smiles from the other teens.

"Sounds like you'd be happy on Berk" Hiccup said with a fond smile on his lips. "All women are expected to learn how to fight".

"Yeah" Fishlegs added eagerly. "And not just with swords either but shields, daggers and bows too". Wow, that sounded really cool Jack thought to himself. So the two of them actually knew how to use all of those weapons? Jack would love to see them in action some time, two Viking boys fighting each other, that would be awesome.

"I wish it was like that back home" Merida said, almost longingly.

"You know...I could make you a bow and some arrows, if you'd like? Then you could practice while you're here too" Hiccup offered with a warm smile. Jack immediately felt his opinion of the guy skyrocket, and his facial expression softened. Hiccup was offering to spend his time and energy crafting a bow for Merida, who he barely knew, so the red-head could satisfy her urge to get better with a bow. Jack already knew that Hiccup was a genuinely nice guy, but this just illustrated it further. That was a really heartwarming gesture.

Merida's whole face lit up at the Viking boy's remark. "Really?" she asked with pure giddiness and a slight uncertainty in her voice, as if she thought it was too good to be true.

"Yeah, sure. I wouldn't take me more than a week or so. Two weeks if you want some kind of special design on it" The Ravenclaw confirmed, his green eyes amused by the red-heads joyful reaction.

"Thank you Hiccup" Merida said sincerely with appreciation evident in her blue eyes. "That's so nice of you to offer". Jack smiled softly at his wild-haired friend and Hiccup.

Hiccup gave the curly haired Gryffindor a genuine smile in response. "It's fine" he said and waved his hand dismissively. Typical Hiccup, Jack snorted mentally. He hadn't known him for long, but he already knew that the guy was very dismissive when it came to himself, as if he wasn't anything special.

"I'll show you some sketches of some different bows tomorrow and you can tell me which kind you'd like" Hiccup finished and Merida nodded eagerly with a bright grin on her face.

"How are you going to make it?" Jack asked curiously. He briefly wondered where in the castle it was possible to work on something like that.

"Well…I'm taking Building, Managing and Repairing Magical Objects and there's a huge workshop available for that, so I can use it to work on the bow" Hiccup explained. That made sense, Jack thought to himself. He'd never actually seen the workshop so he had no idea what it looked like or what kind of tools and materials you could find there, but Hiccup seemed to be confident that he could make a bow there.

"Thank you" Merida then said once more, her voice lower and gentler, and Jack knew that it was a consequence of how touched she obviously felt. The Ravenclaw simply smiled in response.

"So you're finally getting a bow, Red. Just make sure not to aim it at me" Flynn said jokingly and nudged Merida's shoulder.

"I can't make any promises, Rider" she shot back with a steady voice and mirth in her blue eyes.

Flynn held up his hands in surrender. "Whoa whoa, no need to get all aggressive just because you want a piece of this" he said teasingly and gestured to his body. Merida snorted, while the other teens chuckled and smiled in amusement.

"Oh please. I wouldn't want 'a piece' of you if you were the last guy on earth" the red-haired girl spat.

Flynn scoffed. "In denial, are we?" he said and wagged his eyebrows suggestively.

Merida scoffed. "You wish"

Jack suddenly noticed Hiccup scratching his arm, and his sleeve was accidentally rolled up a little by the action, revealing some angry red marks on his skin. What the heck was going on there? It looked like he'd been attacked by something very angry.

"What the hell happened to you? Were you mauled by a honey badger or something?" Jack asked in a combination of curiosity and concern, as his blue gaze continued to examine the Ravenclaw's damaged skin.

Hiccup rolled up his sleeve some more, revealing more of those angry looking scratches. The marks were clearly not serious injuries, but it looked like it was quite unpleasant.

"Might as well have been. We had to deal with Venomous Tentaculas in Herbology" Hiccup explained and chuckled a little. "They were not too agreeable". Jack smiled at that. He had heard of those horrible plants before, and they were not something to take lightly.

"Oh no, me and Mavis have Herbology tomorrow…we're definitely going to have to do the same thing" Flynn groaned, obviously not looking forward to the prospect of having his arms attacked like that.

"Got any tips?" Mavis asked the Ravenclaws curiously. She _was_ the smart one of their little Gryffindor bunch, so it came as no surprise for Jack that she used the opportunity to pick their brains a little.

"Well…stun it before you try to extract the venom, but be careful because the stunning effect only lasts a little while. It helps if you can figure out how it prefers to move, so you can predict its attacks" Hiccup explained calmly, gesturing with his hands in that way of his that had already become familiar to Jack.

"It sounds like a peachy little plant" He said cheekily with an amused smirk gracing his lips.

"It's a diabolic devourer of souls" Hiccup deadpanned, causing the other teens to chuckle except for Flynn, who seemed a little worried that he would be dealing with this apparent killing machine tomorrow.

"Great…I'm really looking forward to that" Flynn said sarcastically.

"Come on Flynn, it won't be so bad. We'll handle it." Mavis reassured him.

Jack scoffed. "Don't trust anything that vampire says, she's the one who talked me into taking Arithmancy again this year" Jack said teasingly, but with the underlying frustration of actually regretting taking that particular class.

At first Mavis smiled at the nickname. Due to her pale skin, black hair and her very unusual last name, she had quickly been dubbed 'the vampire' in their little group. "Aww, are you still whining about that?" she asked in a combination of amusement and affectionate scolding.

"Ugh…There's just nothing worse than being forced to study something you're not interested in" Jack groaned. He had actually found Arithmancy interesting in previous years, but now it had become so abstract and intricate that it had sucked all the interesting potential right out.

"Oh really? How about getting electrocuted? Or having your head held underwater by a Grindylow? Or being wrongfully accused of killing someone with a spoon and being thrown in Azkaban? Or all of these things put together plus getting pecked in the groin by an angry owl?" Hiccup asked him, one eyebrow raised in an obvious challenge, as he picked apart Jack's statement with that sharp logic of his.

"You are like…permanently sarcastic, aren't you?" Jack said, one eyebrow raised.

Hiccup waved a hand dismissively. "I'm permanently awesome, Snowcone"

The other teens chuckled at that. Even though Jack knew that Hiccup was kidding, it was still somehow nice to hear him say things like that. Things that almost seemed confident.

"You should be nicer to me, now that I know what your Amortentia potion smelled like"

"Well, my sarcasm is my way of saying I like tolerating you" Hiccup retorted dryly, but with amusement evident in his green eyes.

This caused a huge grin to spread across Jack's face, while the teens around him smiled or chuckled at the comment. Especially Rapunzel and Fishlegs were amused by their friend's statement, and that made it seem like there was more to it, than what could be observed from the surface.

Jack kicked off his dark blue Converse and pulled off his blue and black striped socks. He wiggled his toes a couple of times and immensely enjoyed the cool wind that caressed the sensitive skin, chasing away that suffocating warmth that would always occur, when your feet were imprisoned in shoes.

Hiccup gave him a curious look with an amused smile, and Jack shot him a grin in response.

"What's going on there?" Hiccup asked him and nodded towards his bare feet, causing the other teens to observe Jack as well.

"I'm not a big fan of shoes…or socks…or anything that restricts my feet in any way. It's too confining" he explained, watching his feet for a moment as he wiggled his toes once again. It really was nice feeling the chilly autumn wind on his bare skin.

"No kidding…If there wasn't a dresscode inside the castle, you'd pad around on bare feet all day long" Flynn teased him. It was true though. He definitely would.

"Of course I would" Jack shot his friend a bright grin. "Who wouldn't?"

"Uh…me for example?" Hiccup deadpanned.

"Well, you're already confined in that sarcastic bubble of yours, so a few more restrictions shouldn't matter to you" Jack replied cheekily.

"Tell me...what's the opposite of 'thank you'"? Hiccup asked rhetorically, holding a finger on his chin, as if he was deep in thought, causing giggles to erupt from the other teens. Jack grinned widely at the comment.

The four Gryffindors and the three Ravenclaws stayed by that spot by the lake for two hours, before they'd had to head back to the castle for dinner. It was slowly getting dark outside and a crisp evening chill was in the air, much to Jack's delight, as the seven teens walked together towards the Great Hall, all in friendly conversation with each other. Jack and Hiccup had briefly agreed to meet up tomorrow after classes to continue working on their Defense against the Dark Arts assignment, before Flynn, Merida and Hiccup began discussing ideas for Merida's bow, while Mavis, Rapunzel and Fishlegs were engulfed in a discussion about their homework for Magical History. Jack snorted at that. He was content just listening to his friends getting along with the three Ravenclaws, as they continued to make their way towards the ancient magical castle.

As Jack and his friends sat by the Gryffindor table, enjoying their nice, hot meals, he found himself thinking that he had really enjoyed Hiccup's, Fishlegs, and Rapunzel's company and it seemed that his friends had as well. As they parted with the Ravenclaws by the entrance to the Great Hall and took their seats by their own House table, Mavis, Flynn and Merida had all agreed that their three new acquaintances were definitely not only genuinely nice people but also fun to hang out with. Jack actually felt slightly relieved at that and it confused him a little. Sure, he wanted to spend more time with Hiccup, that much was clear, but he could do that even if his friends didn't like him. On the other hand, it would be a shame if his closest friends disliked the guy that he was trying to befriend, and everything would definitely go a lot smoother, if all of them got along. He had expected them to like Hiccup though, as his sarcastic wit and playful banter fit in well in their little group. As he listened with one ear to Merida's and Mavis' discreet discussion on whether Jim and Hayley had broken up, he cast a quick glance at the Ravenclaw table, where Hiccup was telling Fishlegs and Rapunzel something, his green eyes wide with obvious excitement and his hands gesturing eagerly, as if he had too much energy in his body right now. Jack smiled to himself, until he noticed how several Ravenclaws were somehow keeping an eye on Hiccup, the girls with obvious interest and the boys with curiosity. They were all trying to be discreet but definitely failing. Wow, they were like sharks, Jack thought. No wonder that Hiccup seemed a little paranoid about all of this. He would probably be too, if he was in that situation. Jack tore his eyes away from the Ravenclaw table and focused his attention on his friends once more, listening to their discussion, as he stabbed a roasted potato with his fork and brought it to his mouth, enjoying the salty taste spread on his tongue.

~~~~ Jack ~~~~

After dinner in the Great Hall, Jack's feet were taking him towards the boy's bathroom closest to the Gryffindor common room, as he was meeting up with his friends and the other Gryffindors there afterwards. He was looking forward to hanging out with Jim some more, as they actually hadn't seen that much of each other these few days. It would also be nice to catch up with some of the others though.

As he walked down one of the old empty hallways and turned a corner, he was suddenly slammed into the wall, feeling his back being thrown against the hard stone and hands clenched around his wrists. Angry, narrowed, sky-blue eyes gazed into his, threatening to bore into his very soul. Great. Somehow he had pissed off Astrid. He wondered what he had done now. He hadn't played any pranks on her, and they hadn't even spoken to each other, since he bumped into her at the platform waiting for the Hogwarts express. So what was going on? What was her problem with him? He'd noticed how she was glaring daggers at him in Arithmancy, but he had no idea whatsoever what he had done to annoy her this time.

"What are you doing with Hiccup, Frost?" She asked in a deadly tone that left no room for jokes or discussion, while her grip tightened on his wrists, still pinning him against the wall. He felt her slim fingers dig into his skin.

Okay, he had definitely not been expecting that. Surprise filled his head as his thoughts flew in all sorts of different directions. What was she implying? Why was she so aggressive? Why had she felt it was actually necessary to slam him into the wall?

"What are you talking about?" he decided to ask, genuinely confused about this encounter. His back was aching slightly from the impact with the hard surface that it was now leaning against. It was probably going to leave a bruise.

Astrids brow furrowed in irritation and her lips were a thin line, as she observed him for a few moments.

"Are you trying to get him to tell you about the dragons?" she inquired, clearly frustrated that he hadn't understood what she was talking about right away.

"What? No!" he exclaimed and his eyes widened slightly. So that was it. She thought he was somehow using Hiccup to get information. And then what? Did she think that he would actually befriend someone and then just betray their trust? She really was too suspicious for her own good. On the other hand…he _had _noticed how people were throwing themselves at Hiccup, so maybe deep down he could understand her concern…a little. Not a lot. Definitely not a lot. He had good intentions though, so he didn't deserve getting slammed into a wall on his way to the goddamn bathroom.

Astrid kept looking at him with narrowed eyes, not looking the slightest bit convinced. The way she stared at him was unsettling. It was like she was trying to bore a hole in his brain. What was her problem? He got that she was protective of Hiccup, but seriously…He found himself getting annoyed with her. He didn't deserve this shit.

"Would you get _off_ of me" Jack snapped as he pushed his whole body towards Astrid, causing her to step back a few feet and let go of his wrists. Finally. It was very rare for him to lose his temper. His cheery and fun nature usually deflated any conflicts, before they got too far, but this was just too much right now. She had invaded his personal space and accused him of being a two-faced, lying jerk, just like that.

The two teens glared at each other in silence and the air was thick with tension. Astrid clenched her fists, and Jack seriously doubted that his usually upbeat personality would win him any favors with the blonde girl. It never had before.

Astrid crossed her arms, her eyes still narrowed in obvious suspicion and frustration. She tapped the stone floor a few times with one of her feet in an impatient gesture. Right now she reminded Jack of a stern mother who was protecting her child from some punk kid, who she had decided was a bad influence. He didn't deserve that though, and he found himself feeling more irritated by the second.

"If you're not trying to get information from him, what exactly are you doing?" she asked icily. She angrily shoved her fists in the pockets of her red shirt, just to take them out again a few seconds later.

"Uh…working on a project, joking around, talking?" Jack answered as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. Which it was to him. They were just hanging out and having fun, there was no reason for her to be so overprotective and suspicious.

He saw Astrid's jaw clench. Great. She hadn't liked his answer one bit.

"Right" she said with anger lacing her tone in a deadly manner. "Because that's what you always do…no wait, it isn't. I get that you're working on a project, but why are you hanging out together outside of that?"

"Why is that any of your business?" Jack sneered at her. He was seriously getting agitated by this. Hiccup was his own person, and he could decide for himself who he wanted to spend time with. Jack wondered if the blonde girl had always interfered in the brunet Vikings business. He hoped not. Hiccup had the right to have his privacy, without Astrid meddling, as if that was somehow her right.

The blonde Viking girl took a few steps forward, closing in on him. Her face was now so close that he could feel her warm rapid breath on his skin, and see those few flecks of silver in her oval blue eyes. The eyes that were still squinted in suspicion. She was intruding on his space again and he could feel the irritation swirl inside him. He wasn't like Hiccup who truly valued his personal space and became awkward when people invaded it, but he really didn't like people being this close to him when the reason was agitation.

"It _is _my business…Hiccup is my…friend" Astrid said, her face not moving one inch away or revealing any change in its expression.

Her voice however had betrayed her. The last word and the way she had said it, had Jack's brain shooting into overdrive. It had sounded so…hesitant? Resigned? Like she had wanted to say something else, but changed her mind at the last second. It was very out of character for Astrid to sound hesitant or resigned about anything. She was overly confident, smart, outspoken and she could hold her own against anyone and anything. There was never any reason for her to hesitate. So why now? Was she disappointed that she felt the need to protect Hiccup? Like a big sister who was sick of looking out for her little brother that always got in trouble? Jack knew that Astrid felt responsible for Hiccup in some way. Maybe she was tired of it, even though she couldn't let go of it? Or maybe she knew that she cared about Hiccup on some level but didn't actually think of him as a friend?

"Well, Hiccup is my friend too" he retorted defiantly, feeling slightly childish at the stubbornness that had snuck into his voice. Hiccup wasn't some plaything to discuss ownership of, but he was so annoyed with the blond girl before him right now, and he just wanted her to step down first. If he was honest with himself, Jack had no idea if Hiccup even considered him a friend yet, but they were definitely getting there.

"Hiccup was never your friend before. Why now?" she demanded to know, stepping a few feet back, once again creating some space between them, and Jack felt that he could finally breathe comfortably again. At least she had the decency to not be in his face constantly. He observed her for a moment, while she ran her hand quickly through her blonde bangs in an impatient gesture.

She had hit a nerve with her comment. Of course she was right. They hadn't been friends before, and if Jack was completely honest with himself, he somehow felt a little guilty about that. He'd only started paying actual attention to Hiccup after the whole dragon thing was pulled out into the light, and even though he would never try to fish information out of Hiccup, maybe he did feel slightly remorseful that he had been one of many to never truly notice the Ravenclaw's many great qualities before.

Jack decided to take on the role of the peacemaker instead of pushing the girl's buttons, as he had intended because he was so annoyed with her meddling. It wouldn't do any good, and Astrid was Hiccup's friend. He didn't want to create tension between the three of them.

"Look...I get that you're trying to protect Hiccup, but I just like hanging out with him. There's nothing sinister going on" he reassured the frustrated and over-protective girl, while holding his hands up in a surrendering gesture.

"There better not be. Or I will _end _you, Frost" she threatened, her voice low and growling, and her eyes glaring daggers at him, mentally stabbing a thousand holes in his pale skin. She put her hands on her hips while looking very dissatisfied, her signature don't-mess-with-me-I-can-kill-you-with-my-thumb move. Jack felt uneasy at her tone of voice and he swallowed thickly. He had experienced her icy glares before, and had even received a death threat or two before from her. There wasn't anything particularly unusual about that. She had a tendency of giving other students death threats, if they had truly pissed her off. No, what was making Jack uneasy was her dark, growling voice. He had never heard her speak like that before. It was primitive, almost animalistic…as if she would truly have trouble restraining herself from ripping him apart with her bare hands, if he did something to Hiccup. As if she had some sort of basic, primal instinct to protect the boy.

Jack felt uneasy but refused to let the girl see that. He looked straight into her eyes with confidence, ice blue meeting sky blue.

"You know…Hiccup is old enough to take care of himself, Astrid. He doesn't need you watching over him all the time". He tried to keep his voice neutral, not wanting to provoke her further, but also wanting to get his point across.

The blonde girl's face fell for the tiniest of moments before she regained her icy expression. It happened so quickly that Jack had almost missed it. He didn't though. What was that about? If she was disappointed at the thought that Hiccup might not need her protection, his thoughts of her being a tired big sister who was sick of looking out for her brother went out the window. Astrid was confusing him more and more by the second. What was all of this really about?

"Well, tough. I'm going to do it anyway" she said with fierce determination in her voice.

Jack knew that Astrid was one of the most stubborn people, he had ever met. When she was determined to do something, nothing could ever make her turn away. It was useless even trying. Jack decided to stop beating around the bush. He wanted answers.

"Astrid…Seriously, what's all this about?"

He was already sick of fighting with her. Sometimes it was necessary to fight with someone, like the time when Martin Campbell and his friends thought it was okay to play dirty in the Quidditch matches. Yes, Hufflepuffs were usually amiable and bubbly, wanting to befriend everyone and everything, but there were exceptions to every house. That fight had been necessary, but this thing with Astrid wasn't. They both obviously cared about Hiccup, so couldn't they just be content with that? Well, that sort of depended on Astrid. The blonde Gryffindor was apparently intent on thinking that he had some ulterior motive for spending time with her friend. Jack wasn't sure that she could be pacified just like that.

His question however had obviously caught the girl off guard. Her eyes ceased to be narrowed, only to widen slightly for a few seconds, before she regained her composure. She hadn't expected his question, and she was unsure on how to answer it. Her hands fell from her hips and rested by her sides, her defensive demeanor budging slightly.

Jack caught himself thinking that this whole conversation had been surreal. Astrid was never unsure or hesitant. She was the perfect Gryffindor: brave, fearless, impulsive…and yet he had seen those flickers of hesitance, of resignation, of doubt. The moments had been brief, so brief that one could argue that they almost hadn't happened. Someone less observant would have never caught them, but Jack had and it confused and unsettled him.

"Just remember…" Astrid said, determined but without the bubbling anger that had previously laced her voice. "If you do something to Hiccup, you will regret it".

She didn't give Jack time to answer, as she quickly spun around and walked away briskly, her movements stiff and tense, her blonde loose braid swaying gently from side to side on her back from the fast pace. He watched the irritated Viking girl disappear from view around a corner. She was really something, Jack thought, still a little annoyed by her physical and verbal attacks but also mollified by her obvious concern for Hiccup. She really was looking out for him, trying to make sure that no one would hurt him. Jack wondered if Hiccup knew that she did such things. He decided not to tell him though. This was between Jack and Astrid. He assumed that she would soften up when she realized that he wasn't a threat to Hiccup's wellbeing. It was curious though…Hiccup was a dragon tamer, he had been in a battle with a giant dragon queen, and he was studious person who had acquired more magic knowledge and know-how than the average student at Hogwarts…and yet, he still awoke that protective streak in the people that cared about him. Jack wasn't at all sure that he needed their help though. He could take care of himself and yet his friends felt the need to take care of him somehow. It was peculiar….Maybe it had something to do with his past, Jack mused. The brunet had been short and scrawny when he was younger, and coupled with his brainy and sarcastic demeanor it obviously sparked the protective instinct of those around him. But now…Hiccup was grown up. He was tall, had gotten a leaner build, he had learned fighting skills, had a dragon and he had accumulated more magical knowledge. He hardly needed to be protected.

During the rest of the evening, Astrid frequently popped into his head. As he hung out with his friends and several other Gryffindors in the common room, the blonde girl was present at the edge of his mind, causing him to be slightly distracted. Luckily Astrid was nowhere to be seen, which he was grateful for. His friends quickly noticed his distracted behavior, but he didn't feel like sharing this, at least not yet, so he just told them that he was tired. They seemed to accept that explanation and carried on their discussions, where Jack once in a while threw in a comment or two when he was able to focus.

When it was time for bed, he was actually quite relieved in a strange way. He wasn't lying when he told his friends that he was tired, but whether his drowsiness came from a long day of school and friends or being deep in thought about his encounter with Astrid, he wasn't certain.

As he dropped onto his soft bed with a gentle plop and curled under the comforting, warm covers, he and Flynn said goodnight to each other and to their two dorm mates Harry and Liam. When the lights went out he closed his eyes and felt his body sink comfortably into the mattres. His last thoughts before he fell into a deep slumber was how confusing Astrid had been today and how the pleasant taste of peppermint from his toothpaste lingered on his tongue.

**Author's note:**

Jól: The Vikings' celebration of fertility and peace, where they drank, ate, prayed- and sacrificed to the gods. All their best food and drink were brought out for the Jól celebrations, and especially the mead was highly important, as Jól wasn't actually "celebrated" but "drunk", that's what the Vikings called it: drinking Jól :) The word Jól is where the old english word Yule comes from. When the Scandinavians converted to Christianity, the church tried to introduce the word "Kristmesse" (Christ-mass) insted of Jól to sort of destroy the remnants of this important norse celebration, but that was never accepted, and to this day Christmas is called Jul, Jól or Joulu in all Scandinavian countries.

Smörgåsbord: A type of Scandinavian meal with a large array of dishes (both hot and cold) served together on a table as a kind of buffet. It's very common in all of Scandinavia, although it has different names. In Denmark and Norway for example it's known as "det kolde bord" and "koldtbord" (both meaning: the cold table).

Blót: Sacrifice to the Gods in return for something, for example fertility or good luck in war. The word covers a number of different kinds of rituals. Some were small like when a single Viking would sacrifice weapons or jewellery and some were very large such as huge feasts where a lot of Vikings joined together in sacrificing to the Gods. The Vikings had a least four different kinds of blót every year, one in each season, but they also did the blót when some kind of special situation or crisis emerged, where they needed the help of the Gods. What they sacrificed varied a lot. It could be anything from animals to tools to weapons.

Lǫngubak: Means "Fishbelly" in old norse

Burlufotr: Means "Clumsy Foot" in old norse.


	6. We're on our way

**Author's note:** Hey guys :) Here's the newest chapter for this story. Jack and Hiccup get to know each other better and they both experience signs of attraction towards each other, even though they are completely in denial. Jack also starts Quidditch practice again, Hiccup gets disturbing news from home AND we find out more about Hiccup's sexuality. We also get to see Astrid's point of view briefly, as I find it relevant to the story to understand why she acts the way she does. The chapter will contain words in old norse that will be explained in an author's note at the end of the chapter. All words that are later translated are marked with an * in the text :)

I hope you'll enjoy reading it :) Thank you so much to everyone who has left comments on the story, I really love reading your opinions and I get all happy inside when I see that someone has left a comment. And also thanks to everyone who is following the story or has favourited it :)

Now for the chapter!

~~~~ Hiccup ~~~~

"…and you just know that he's going to mess everything up" Rapunzel sighed and rolled her eyes. She was in a bad mood this morning, and that was a very rare occurrence for the bubbly blonde. Hiccup and Fishlegs were listening attentively to her, as she continued to complain about her assigned partner for a new Care of Magical Creatures project. Apparently Professor Lucero had paired her with Neal Booker, a lazy, cheeky Gryffindor who didn't bother putting any considerable effort into his academic achievements. That meant Rapunzel was stuck doing most of the work, if she wanted to get a decent grade. Which she did. Hiccup nodded sympathetically as the blonde girl told them how Booker had refused to meet up more than twice to get the report done, and he could feel the irritation stir in his gut. He was a Ravenclaw and he never shied away from any academic effort, but over the years he had experienced a fair amount of selfish, lazy project partners, who didn't want to pull their own weight, and as a result he had accumulated a certain intolerance towards this particular kind of student. Not everyone enjoyed gathering knowledge through studying and that was more than fair. However, when you're paired up with someone, you better do your part of the work. Anything less and you're an inconsiderate slacker.

"You need to set him straight. He's going to do his share of the project, whether he likes it or not" Hiccup said calmly but determined and gave Rapunzel a firm look that told her he wasn't kidding.

"I know, Hiccup. It's just…difficult. And what if he doesn't care what I say?" Rapunzel asked him uncertainly and sighed.

"Then you have two choices. Either you go to professor Lucero or I talk with him" Hiccup told her, as he tapped his fingers a few times on the wooden surface of the table.

"Definitely professor Lucero then. I'm not setting my overprotective Viking "big brother" on him, no matter how big of a jerk he is" Rapunzel said, her green eyes shining with amusement and making air quotations with her hands at Hiccup's 'title'. He saw Fishleg's lips quirk upwards at their friend's comment.

Hiccup couldn't stop the warm smile that spread across his face, as she called him her big brother. She referred to him once in a while using that expression, and each time he found that he felt touched by the love and friendship behind her words. He and Rapunzel had been friends for so long now, and their relationship had developed into something similar to that of siblings. He was only a few months older than her, but her place in his heart had many characteristics in common with that of a younger sister. He felt protective of her, wanting to guard her and keep her safe. This was never clearer to him than when others put her down and made her feel inferior or tried to use her for their own purposes. He had defended her many times against Know, Jarvis and Kinney through the years. He had also had serious talks with several of their fellow students, who had tried to get her to do their part of the work in classes. It wasn't that Hiccup enjoyed doing any of these things. He was a peaceful guy, who didn't like conflict at all, but sometimes conflict could not be avoided. He also knew that Rapunzel wasn't a doormat, but her sensitive and caring nature sometimes prevented her from saying things that needed to be said. In those cases, he chose to do it himself…after informing Rapunzel about it of course. He didn't want to do anything behind her back.

"Come on, I'm not that bad" he smiled, waving one hand in a dismissive motion. It was true though. He tried his best to get his point across whenever he had defended Rapunzel in some way, but without using hostility.

"Yes you are" she beamed at him, flashing that bright, joyful grin that lit up her face. He couldn't keep himself from chuckling.

"I agree" Fishlegs interjected with a teasing smirk, a hand in the air as if he was trying to get a teacher to notice him.

"Is this a mutiny?" Hiccup asked suspiciously, raising an eyebrow and letting his gaze drift back and forth between his two friends. "Traitors".

"Are you implying that you're somehow our captain?" Fishlegs asked, his blue eyes conveying the friendly mirth behind the question.

"Yeah of course I am" Hiccup said sarcastically. "Who else could keep you two in line? Without me you would clearly be lost with no sense of purpose in life"

Rapunzel and Fishlegs both chuckled, and Rapunzel took a quick sip of the hot tea in her mug.

"Of course we would, oh captain, my captain" the blonde girl said in mock adoration, her eyes soft and her chin rested on her knuckles, as if she was watching Hiccup with longing.

"Stop that, it's freaking me out" he quickly replied, his brow furrowed, much to the amusement of both his friends, who observed him with grins on their faces. He was obviously joking, but there was a certain truth in it as well. If Rapunzel ever genuinely looked at him like that, he would be seriously disturbed and there would be a Hiccup-shaped hole in the closest wall.

"The tough dragon rider can't handle a simple crush" Rapunzel teased him lovingly, poking him in the side with one finger. He jumped slightly at the sudden touch.

"Well, that's no surprise. He would rather face the Red Death again than handle any girl's googly eyes" Fishlegs chuckled, as he reached out and grabbed another sausage with his fork and placed it on his plate.

"Ha ha, Hiccup is scared of girls…_that's_ a new one" Hiccup replied, lacing his words with sharp sarcasm and rolling his eyes. He knew that he wasn't the most eloquent or confident person around the opposite sex, but he wasn't completely hopeless either. He could handle polite conversation with anyone, even shy, flirty schoolgirls who used any excuse to squeeze his arm or brush some imaginary dust off his shoulder. Even though it made him uncomfortable and self-conscious, he would hide it as best he could and pretend it was no big deal. He wasn't about to draw even more attention to himself or open up about his self-esteem problems to strangers.

"But you so are!" Rapunzel exclaimed, her big green eyes gleaming with triumphant teasing, and a slim finger pointed directly at him. Her playful nature was infectious, and he saw Fishlegs watch him with an amused smirk. Damn those two and their mutiny. He had obviously been too lenient a captain, since they now dared to rebel against him.

"I am not" he said, emphasizing the last word. "My best friend is a Night Fury, I think I can handle a few girls", he finished. That didn't mean he had to like it though. Fishlegs and Rapunzel often joked that he was emotionally dense and completely clueless, when it came to observing other people's hints of interest in him. He wasn't though. Sure, he wasn't always able to figure out what people wanted, but he wasn't entirely unaware in general.

"But you would still rather put your good foot in a Gronckle-trap than deal with flirty girls right?" Fishlegs asked with a smirk on his lips, while twiddling his thumbs.

"Oh definitely" Hiccup confirmed and grinned widely at his two dear friends. "Always choose the least painful option, right?"

"You're unbelievable" Rapunzel said in equal amounts of love and frustration and shook her head.

"Why thank you" he retorted sincerely and did a little bow with his head, causing his blonde friend to roll her green eyes.

As the three Ravenclaws continued to eat their breakfast and enjoyed some more friendly discussions and funny banter, their conversation was interrupted by a vast number of owls flying into the Hall, the familiar sounds of hooting from the birds and hushed noises of excitement from the students filling the air. While Rapunzel often got letters and packages from her parents, Fishlegs and Hiccup didn't receive mail that often. For that very reason Hiccup was surprised to see his father's familiar black owl approaching with a letter gripped tightly in its claws, as well as the large white and brown owl that belonged to Fishlegs' parents carrying a package. As the two owls flew past overhead, they dropped the items into Hiccup's and Fishlegs' hands. Rapunzel instantly eyed the package with a mix of curiosity and nervous anticipation, as if it might contain something dangerous or illegal. Hiccup smirked to himself. He was fairly certain that it wouldn't. Fairly….After all, you never truly knew when it came to Vikings he thought to himself with amusement.

He began opening the letter, eager to find out what his father wanted, while Fishlegs started to rip open the package. His dad wrote him once in a while, updating him on how things were going at home, asking how he was doing and so on, but it wasn't that often.

Hiccup pulled out the note from the envelope and began scanning his green eyes across the words on the page. He sighed to himself. This wasn't good. Apparently there had been more conflicts back home between Berk and its allies and the three tribes who did not approve of their peace with the dragons, as some of the dragon riders had interfered and freed some dragons that one of those tribes had caught to kill and sell their parts to the highest paying wizards. His brow furrowed in annoyance and his lips were a thin line, as he kept reading the letter. Everything else was good news though…the Berkians had no problems preparing for a long harsh winter, Snotlout and the twins were doing fine…well, still getting in trouble contantly, but they were happy and safe…Stormfly and Meatlug were spending their time with the other dragons as well as Snotlout and the twins, and the two dragons seemed content despite obviously missing their riders. Well, at least that was something…he was seriously worried about the problems with the other tribes though…The barbaric archipelago was officially at peace, as Berk had peace treaties signed with all tribes but those three, and since none of the three hostile tribes had declared war on anyone, despite the rise in conflicts. He truly hoped it would remain that way.

Apparently Fishlegs and Rapunzel had both noticed his inner turmoil, as he found them observing him carefully with concerned expressions, as he put the letter down. Fishlegs had even stopped opening his package.

"What's wrong?" the blonde Viking asked him, worry evident in his blue eyes.

"More problems with the hostile tribes…" he explained and Fishlegs immediately sighed.

"You're worried it's going to escalate?" Rapunzel asked him gently.

"Yes…it's a possibility" He answered truthfully. "But I really hope it won't come to that…"

"You don't think it could turn into a war, do you?" Fishlegs asked carefully, fidgeting nervously with the hem of his sleeve. Rapunzel raised her eyebrows and watched him anxiously.

"It could, but let's not get ahead of ourselves…after all…it's been a long time since the last war" Hiccup replied. He decided it was best to be honest with his two friends.

"Yeah, that's true…" Fishlegs replied, sounding slightly less worried than a moment ago.

"Yeah…So let's not drive ourselves crazy over this…" Hiccup told his two friends and meant it, even though he wasn't sure if he could just let it go himself…He was definitely going to be thinking and worrying about this for a while.

Fishlegs and Rapunzel both nodded, and his large blonde Viking friend once again began opening the package. Hiccup put his right hand in one of the pockets in his robes and closed his hand around the familiar small object. Ever since he and Toothless had become important in the defense of their home, Hiccup needed a way for his dad to let him know if there were any urgent problems that they were needed for. He had enchanted the tiny box to open its lid and let out a very distinct loud noise, if his dad opened the matching one he had left back on Berk. He had made sure that his dad knew that it was only for dire emergencies, like if Berk was attacked by enemies…and if that happened, Hiccup would drop everything to get there, so it didn't matter that the noise it let out was loud.

"Ooh, great!" Fishlegs exclaimed as he took in the contents from the package. Hiccup watched him with curiosity as he pulled out several items…cheese, dried and sweetened apple slices, a coarse loaf of rye bread and a couple of those delicious wheat flatbreads that Fishleg's mother was so good at making. Apparently his mum had decided to send them some Viking food, and Hiccup found himself grateful for that. The food was delicious at Hogwarts, but it was nice to get something from back home.

"That was nice of her" Hiccup told his heavy Viking friend, who nodded eagerly in response.

"Oooh" Fishlegs said excitedly, as he pulled out the last items of the package, revealing two very familiar looking bottles.

"Hey, keep that down there" Hiccup quickly said, glancing around him, and Fishlegs immediately complied, looking slightly flustered. Alcohol was definitely not permitted on Hogwart's grounds, and those bottles were filled with mead. He smiled to himself in amusement…only Viking parents would send their teenage kids alcohol. Not that he was complaining…he was looking forward to drinking some mead again.

"That's not allowed here" Rapunzel interjected, her green eyes looking back and forth from Fishlegs to Hiccup.

"Oh we know that" Hiccup smirked at her. That wasn't going to stop them though.

"…You're still totally going to keep that and drink it, aren't you?" the blonde girl deadpanned, eying the two Vikings with a firm look in her eyes.

"Oh yes, definitely" Fishlegs replied and chuckled a little.

Hiccup hummed in agreement. It wasn't like they were going to be drunk in class or receive alcohol on a regular basis, so Hiccup did not feel guilty at all about enjoying some mead with Fishlegs in the near future. He was actually really looking forward to it. Mead was very central to bonding and enjoying the company of others in Viking culture, and even though Vikings often had parties where they got drunk on the stuff, it wasn't all about that. Since he and Fishlegs were away from home most of the year, Hiccup found himself missing such familiar things, so it would be nice to taste that strong liquid again that he had come to like as he grew older.

~~~~ Astrid ~~~~

As Astrid was making her way through the busy corridors filled with students on their way to classes, speaking excitedly, carrying books, bumping shoulders with other students heading for their destinations, she walked in comfortable silence next to her close friend Katie. She knew that her brunette friend had already noticed at breakfast that Astrid was distracted and slightly moody this morning, so she let her have her space. She was grateful for that, as she found herself in a rather uncertain and pensive mood.

As they navigated through the sea of students, she thought about her encounter yesterday with Jack. She knew that she had definitely overreacted. Sure, she wanted to warn Jack not to mess with Hiccup, but even she had to admit that she had probably gone too far by slamming him into the wall. She'd just been so damn annoyed yesterday, not just by Jack but by everyone, so she'd snapped. She had had enough. Since the secret about the dragons was pulled into the light it was difficult for her and for Hiccup to avoid people's curiosity and intrusions and it was becoming more and more irritating to deal with.  
>At first she'd been bombarded with questions from everyone who spotted her, regardless of whether they'd ever even talked to her before. Only her friends didn't ask. She had explained the situation to them, how they had needed to keep the secret due to the safety of the dragons and also in part the Vikings themselves. Luckily they'd been very understanding. Astrid briefly shot a glance at Katie, who was still walking closely to her on their way to Divination. She was lucky that she had such understanding friends, who also knew how to keep a secret. Well…she hadn't told them anything in detail, as that really wasn't her place to share with others, but she had confirmed the story of how Hiccup saved them from the Red Death, how the Vikings had made peace with the dragons and why she had needed to keep it secret from them.<br>She had refused anyone else who wanted to know anything remotely dragon-related, and she'd tried to be polite at first, but the more people who approached her, the more annoyed she became. Now she didn't bother with manners, but just told them that it was none of their damn business.

Yesterday had been a particularly bad day, as Julia, a fellow Gryffindor a year younger than her, had asked her if she could get her a date with Hiccup. Seriously…they'd only ever spoken a few times and that was just a brief exchange of polite smalltalk, and yet she apparently thought it was appropriate to ask Astrid for a date with her friend. Besides that, she'd been approached by a small group of fourth years who wanted to question her on dragons and Hiccup, overheard two Hufflepuff guys talking horribly about Hiccup causing her to throw some angry remarks their way which shut them up, and been subjected to an acquaintance who was acting like they'd been best friends forever, but in reality she just wanted to know about the dragons. She'd been ready to explode at the end of the day, and her bad mood was topped off during dinner in the Great Hall as she noticed how the Ravenclaws were watching Hiccup intently. In that moment, they reminded her of vultures circling their prey. Not that Hiccup couldn't handle himself, she knew that he could. She just worried about him and it frustrated her that people apparently couldn't leave him alone.

If people only bothered her, it would be one thing, but Hiccup was definitely being watched and approached by so many people that it was taking its toll on him. She knew just how uncomfortable he was with that kind of attention, and the few times they'd had a little time to talk since they had returned to Hogwarts, he definitely seemed a little worn down by dealing with all of this new found popularity.  
>She wanted to protect him from all of this, despite the fact that Hiccup wasn't weak by a long shot. Sometimes when she thought about all the things he had been through, she actually considered him one of the strongest people she had ever met. However, he needed his personal space to retain his energy and focus, and at the moment that didn't really seem possible, since all of these students were constantly trying to fish information out of him. Sometimes Hiccup really was too nice and caring, so people tried to take advantage of that. In life you sometimes just need to cut through all the bullshit and say what's on your mind, even if it might rub people the wrong way, Astrid thought to herself.<p>

She was well aware that some people considered her a real bitch. She wasn't though, the people closest to her knew that. She could be a bit too temperamental and forward sometimes, she knew that, but she wasn't a jerk. She wasn't trying to hurt anyone's feelings or cause discomfort, but when it came to the people she cared about, she was fiercely protective. Probably too protective sometimes. She really couldn't stop herself though, her blood would boil if someone was bothering her friends or if their motives for being around them were questionable.

Of course Jack had been right, when he'd said that Hiccup was his own person. She really shouldn't meddle like she'd done last night, but she was just sick of dealing with all of this already, and she was irritated with how much it affected Hiccup as well. She just wanted everyone to back off and leave him alone. She briefly considered apologizing to Jack for being so aggressive with him, when she could have warned him in a much more tactful manner, but she pushed the thought away. She wasn't sure that her pride would allow her to do something like that. She would need to do something though.  
>As the two Gryffindors reached the Divination classroom, they quickly took their seats and pulled out their heavy textbooks. Katie still didn't try to strike up conversation, which Astrid appreciated as she was still lost in her own thoughts.<br>She found herself hoping that Jack was being honest, when he had said that nothing sinister was going on and that he just liked Hiccup's company. She had never really been quite sure what to think of the pale white-haired teen. He was obviously a nice, friendly person, and sure, his pranks were pretty funny sometimes. When they weren't directed at her. He definitely wasn't a jerk, and Mavis spoke very fondly of him, but his carefree, reckless nature was worrying her right now. Jack often made a mess of things wherever he went, and he didn't really have any regard for rules or norms, and while that could be an admiring personality trait, at the moment it was making her brow furrow in concern. She'd noticed how he and Hiccup had joked around with each other in class, and Hiccup already seemed strangely comfortable with Jack, which was very unusual. She actually wouldn't mind Jack and Hiccup being friends, if Jack's motives were innocent. Hiccup could use more good friends. The key word here though was "if", because if Jack's agenda was less genuine, it could definitely end up very badly for Hiccup, and he really didn't need more disappointing experiences with people. He had been hurt enough in the past.

A slight tug of guilt made her chest ache a little and she sighed deeply to herself, causing Katie to shot her a concerned look. She gave her friend a small smile in return to let her know that she was okay.

Astrid knew that her protectiveness of Hiccup was not just because of her obvious affection for him, but also an expression of her own remorse that she was somehow trying to purge herself of. She hadn't been very kind or understanding of Hiccup in the past. She'd gone along with the other Vikings in their assessment of him as weak, cowardly and useless, and everytime she thought back to that time, she couldn't believe how blind they'd all been. She deeply regretted how she had acted towards him back then, and she knew that most of the people on Berk felt the same way.  
>Right now, she would do her best to be a supportive friend to him, letting him know that she was there if he needed help with anything or someone to talk to. She would continue to keep an eye on him too, making sure that he was safe, even if he didn't need her to. It was instinctual.<p>

She pinched the bridge of her nose and sighed again. She knew that her overprotectiveness had become worse in time. Hiccup was safe here at Hogwarts as it was protected by such powerful magic, but back home he had become a target in several ways. He was the son of the chief of Berk, he was the person with the most knowledge on dragon behavior and training, he rode the only known example of the rarest (and one of the most dangerous) dragon species on earth who he had an unbreakable bond with and he was responsible for creating peace between the Vikings and the dragons. While most Viking tribes were content with the peace, three were openly unhappy with the development and had refused to sign the agreement that outlawed the killing and export of dragon parts in the whole archipelago. There were also several trappers in the area, who would catch and kill dragons to sell their parts illegally to the Wizarding world. The trappers were definitely not happy about the dragon-riding Vikings, who were constantly trying to stop them and protect the large scaly animals. They and some of the unhappy Viking tribes definitely wouldn't mind hurting Hiccup and getting him out of the way. He and Toothless had become a symbol of peace and of the bond between dragons and Vikings, and everyone in the entire archipelago knew who they were.  
>She closed her eyes for a few seconds and then flipped open her textbook and glanced at the pages needed for today's lesson. She was well aware that her feelings towards Hiccup had somehow changed in the last two years, but he really didn't need more people trying to lay claim to his time and attention. She would be there for him as a friend for as long as she could, until she'd either confess to him or these feelings would go away. Hopefully, they would either subside by themselves or Hiccup would find that he felt the same and initiate something. If he did, she'd be ready. For now though, she would be patient and supportive, as that was what Hiccup needed.<p>

~~~~ Jack ~~~~

As Jack, Merida and Flynn arrived at their Defense against the Dark Arts class, Jack quickly became confused as he spotted a familiar head of blonde hair sitting next to Hiccup. That was weird. Astrid usually sat with her closest friends Katie and Megan in almost every class. He found himself frowning, as he and his friends approached the two Vikings, who seemed to be engulfed in a hushed conversation. They stopped talking when they spotted the three Gryffindors, but Jack had definitely heard the word "dragons" being mentioned quietly. He found that it somehow bothered him that Astrid knew so much about Hiccup and his secrets, while he didn't know anything at all. He realized that it was stupid and childish, but that was how he felt in that moment nonetheless.

Hiccup smiled genuinely at them, as Jack sat down on the other side of the brunet.

"Good morning guys" the brunet greeted them warmly.

"Mornin' Hic" Jack said with a bright smile, and Merida and Flynn added their own "good morning"s.

Astrid seemed to be in a better mood today than yesterday, as she gave them a polite smile and said "good morning" fairly neutrally.

"So Hiccup…are you going to show me some bows today?" Merida asked in impatient anticipation, a bright smile spreading across her face. Jack knew that she couldn't wait to practice her archery skills again, and he smiled softly at his red-haired friend.

"Yeah, sure" Hiccup replied and reached into his black satchel and rummaged around a little, before pulling out a sketchbook. It was another one than his usual worn one. As they waited for professor Bunnymund to arrive and class to begin, Hiccup and Merida quickly became engaged in conversation as the Ravenclaw flicked through the pages, showing her detailed drawings of different kinds of bows. The sketchbook was also filled with drawings of other kinds of weapons and inventions and it was really fascinating to watch, as Hiccup showed some of them to them. There were different kinds of small catapults, bows, swords with weird functions, battleaxes, saddles, armor and a lot of drawings of what appeared to be some sort of saddle connected with a lot of different straps, levers and metal rods. It looked very complex and Jack wondered what on earth Hiccup would need something like that for. He chose not to ask though, and his friends made the same decision.

Merida had ended up picking the same kind of bow that she had back home, only in a slightly different design. Hiccup called it a "recurve bow" and at Jack's and Flynn's confused expressions, the Viking had explained that recurve bows has tips that curve away from the archer when the bow is strung. Hiccup continued to explain that this kind of bow was a good choice to use in forest terrain and on horseback, because it could be made smaller than other bows but still retain a high level of speed and force. Well, that would definitely suit Merida then, Jack thought to himself. She'd told him how she sometimes rode away from home for the day on Angus and practiced shooting her bow in the forest, away from the prying eyes of her mother. Jack had quickly glanced at Astrid, while Hiccup had explained the advantages of this particular kind of bow, and the blonde Viking girl seemed to know exactly what her friend was talking about. Somehow, he found that a little annoying, but maybe that was just because he was still a little irritated with her after their encounter last night.

Hiccup had been sure to stress several times, that Merida needed to keep the bow and arrows hidden somewhere outside the castle. As Fishlegs and Hiccup had told them yesterday, Hogwarts did not allow any kind of weapons in the castle, and none of them wanted to risk getting expelled. Merida naturally agreed to that without any complaints. Hiccup had then told her that he would begin working on it later today, to which the redhead's face had split into a huge grin and a whole series of "thank you"'s escaped her lips, causing the Ravenclaw to flash her a happy crooked smile. Somehow it made Jack feel all fuzzy inside, watching his dear friend and Hiccup getting along so well.

"So…how did you get on with that Herbology assignment?" Hiccup turned to Astrid and asked curiously, while Merida and Flynn somehow quickly became occupied by a discussion of who snored the loudest in the world, Merida's dormmate Lisa or Flynn's old uncle Ralf. Apparently they did not agree at all on that very important issue.

"It was okay actually. Not nearly as difficult as I had imagined. What about you and your project for Magical Objects?" the Viking girl replied and tugged a loose, blond lock behind one ear.

"Yeah, it was fine. Turned out much better than I had expected actually" Hiccup said sounding genuinely happy about it. Jack had no idea what project they were talking about, and his childish curiosity kicked in. He pushed it down though, as he didn't want to interrupt their conversation. Things were already tense between him and Astrid, no need to make it escalate.

"Great…It's too bad I have Herbology with the Hufflepuffs, or we could work on some of the assignments together once in a while" Astrid replied sounding a little disappointed.

"Yeah, that would be great, but apparently the school decided that I need to enjoy the company of the Slytherins for Herbology…"

"But at least you don't have that many classes with them this year" Astrid replied knowingly and gave the Ravenclaw a small but genuine smile.

"True. I actually only have Herbology with them. Professor Lunar wasn't kidding when he let us know that Ravenclaw and Slytherin would be spending less time together this year. Not that I'm complaining in any way…it's nice to avoid…certain people" Hiccup told Astrid and shrugged.

Okay, what was that all about? Jack thought to himself, as he continued to observe the Viking boy next to him. Who did Hiccup want to avoid? Sure, there were some jerks in Slytherin, but the statement sounded like he was talking about someone specific. Jack's curiosity was telling him to ask, but his conscience knew that he shouldn't. He felt a pang of annoyance in his chest…no one should be messing with Hiccup. He was a great guy, so he didn't deserve any one bothering him. If Jack ever saw someone do that, he would definitely be very angry.

"Yeah, I know" Astrid replied softly and a small smile tugged at the corners of her lips. It was strange to see her be this gentle, Jack thought to himself. It was a whole new side of her that he had never seen before. She was usually so strong and openly confident and outspoken, but right now there was a certain soft calmness about her, as she spoke with Hiccup. It was almost like his company made her relax and forget about her whole tough exterior. Jack had thought that Astrid and Hiccup might not actually be friends as such, because they didn't spend much time together at Hogwarts, at least from what he had seen, but watching them interact right now, there was no doubt that they actually had a pretty strong friendship. As they continued to discuss assigments and classes, joking around with each other once in a while, Jack found that they spoke with each other with a strong familiarity and casualness that indicated being friends for a while, and they both clearly let their guard down when they were around each other.

"So Hic…are we meeting up later to work on our assignment?" Jack suddenly asked, when there was a pause in Hiccup's and Astrid's conversation.

"Yeah, sure" Hiccup said, after he had turned his head and trained his green eyes on Jack. "Uhh…I have Building, Managing and Repairing Magical Objects as my last class and it ends at three. How about you?"

"Care of Magical Creatures. Ends at two, but then I have Quidditch practice, so I'm probably done around four"

"Great, so let's just meet up at…what? Four thirty? Then we still have a little time to work before dinner" Hiccup suggested and raised his eyebrows in a questioning way.

"Yup, that's fine" Jack agreed and found himself looking forward to spending some more time with the Viking…although it would consist of studying.

"We'll probably need to meet up somewhere else than the lake though, 'cause it'll be dark around five"

"Oh right…Hmm, how about the library then?"

"Yeah, sure" Hiccup quickly agreed and nodded eagerly.

"Great" Jack replied and gave Hiccup a bright grin, causing the Ravenclaw to smirk a little.

Their conversation was interrupted by the appearance of professor Bunnymund, and as usual the stern, Australian professor immediately made all chatter subside. Class had actually ended up being quite entertaining, as they were once again allowed to practice more non-verbal spells on each other. Today it was expelliarmus, the disarming spell. Astrid and Hiccup had quickly paired up, and Jack somehow felt annoyed at that, but he was fine with getting Merida as his partner, while Flynn and Jim paired up together.

As they were only going to practice disarming spells today, there was no need for professor Bunnymund to pad the walls, like he did when they practiced more violent spells. The tables and chairs were once again moved however and stacked in one of the corners of the old classroom with a single flick of their Australian professor's wrist, so there would be enough room for the students to spread out.  
>The Ravenclaws and Gryffindors all placed themselves a little distance across from their partner and began practicing disarming each other. The sounds of spell casting, laughter and curses created a familiar, comfortable blanket of sound in the large old classroom.<p>

Hiccup and Astrid were standing in front of each other with an appropriate distance between them, and Jack was standing to Hiccup's right, while Merida was standing next to Astrid, all aware to keep some distance between them, so they had plenty of space to cast their magic.

"Ready _meinfretr*_?" Jack heard Astrid ask Hiccup, and the blonde Viking girl had a challenging smirk on her lips, amusement shining in those sky blue eyes that were usually narrowed in annoyance, at least when they were looking at Jack.

_"_Bring it on_,_ _vitskertr*_" Hiccup replied and grinned warmly at the blonde Gryffindor in front of him.

"_Baulufotr*_" Astrid shot back, her eyebrows raised and the corners of her eyes crinkling.

"_Kerling*_" Hiccup immediately said, causing Astrid to genuinely laugh. She seemed so different when she was this open and let her guarded, tough demeanor fade away, Jack thought to himself. Hiccup's grin widened as he observed his blonde friend's amusement.

Once again, Jack really wished that he could understand old norse. The two Vikings communicated…familiarly, affectionately, teasingly and completely incomprehensibly to him. He quickly tried to push the faint irritation he felt away. It was probably a combination of his natural curiosity and his slightly tense relationship with Astrid that made him think these thoughts. After all, he wasn't irritated when Hiccup and Fishlegs spoke to each other like that.

"Frosty, are we going to get on with it or what?" Merida asked him teasingly and he tored his eyes off the two Vikings and trained them on his curly-haired friend, who was standing with her hands on her hips, clearly waiting for them to get started.

"Sure thing, Simba" he replied cheekily and shot her a bright grin. She immediately narrowed her eyes.

"Oh, you'll regret that, Snow Queen"

"Well are you going to do something, or are you going to talk about it?" Jack said and tilted his head of white hair in a teasing manner.

Merida instantly lifted her arm, wand clutched firmly in her hand. With a swift movement of the redhead's wrist, Jack's wand flew out of his grasp and into the air. Merida reacted quickly and jumped up and grabbed it.

"Yes!" she exclaimed triumphantly and held both her hands in the air, a wand clutched in each of them.

"Well done…for a Scot" Jack joked, and Merida stuck her tongue out.

"Sore loser" she replied with mirth lacing her voice, as she quickly covered the distance between them and held out Jack's wand to him. He instantly grabbed it and enjoyed feeling the familiar wand in his hand, even though he had only been without it briefly. A person's wand was like an extension of themself, and without it Jack felt naked and defenseless.

As Merida made sure to create some space between them once again, Jack lifted his wand and thought of the disarming spell. Merida's wand was slung into the air, just as his had been a moment ago, but instead of flying towards him, it was cast away from both of them. Oh well. It couldn't be perfect every time. At least he actually managed to disarm her. As he cast a quick glance around the room, not every student was succeeding in doing just that.

Merida smiled at him before walking towards her wand to pick it up. Jack turned his attention to Hiccup and Astrid, who were apparently both able to disarm each other without a hitch. In between casting the spell on each other, they teased and challenged each other with words in old norse and condescending nicknames.

When class ended, Merida headed towards her Earth Magic class, and Astrid apparently had Astronomy, which suited Jack just fine, as he found it pretty awkward and tense to be around her at the moment. As he, Flynn and Hiccup walked down one of the massive stone passageways of the castle to get to their Transfiguration class, Jack casually slung his arm around Hiccup's shoulder, as he had already gotten used to doing once in a while, and relished the already familiar warmth. It was weird how quickly he'd gotten used to being around Hiccup and apparently the feeling was mutual, as the Ravenclaw seemed to have already grown accustomed to his friendly touches. He didn't flinch or seem confused by it any longer. Jack smiled gently to himself. Well that was definitely progress.

~~~~ Hiccup ~~~~

As he continued to head towards the Transfiguration classroom through the corridors alongside Jack and Flynn, he found himself reflecting on how on earth he had become used to Jack invading his personal bubble in such a short time. It was strange, but somehow he didn't mind it. Sure, the first few times had been really awkward for him and he had been unsure of how to react, but now it was slowly becoming familiar. Which was very unusual…for Hiccup at least. He had no doubt that Jack was used to being all touchy and familiar with people, but he certainly wasn't. Hiccup liked his personal space and tried to keep some physical distance to people he didn't know very well, but in some weird way it didn't seem to matter that much with Jack. His initial awkwardness had quickly disappeared and now he just felt a familiar, friendly warmth, whenever Jack slung his arm around his shoulder or ruffled his hair. It had actually become nice and comforting instead of tense and awkward.

As they entered the old classroom, there weren't many students there yet, and Hiccup instantly spotted his goldenhaired friend sitting by one of the tables with her nose in a book. When the three teens approached her, she lifted her gaze and smiled warmly at them.

"Hi guys" she said with genuine happiness in her eyes and put down the book. They all greeted her cheerfully in return.

Hiccup sat down in a chair next to Rapunzel, while Jack placed himself on his other side, and Flynn slumped down next to Jack.

"So how was class?" Hiccup asked his blonde friend with genuine interest, as he pulled out his textbook from his black satchel and placed it on the table, alongside some parchment and a quill.

"Umm…it was okay, but I was a bit distracted" Rapunzel admitted hesitantly and shrugged.

"Oh? Why is that?" he replied with a furrowed brow. Rapunzel was rarely distracted in class. She was incredibly good at focusing on the task at hand, so something had obviously been out of the ordinary.

"Well, I was just sort of thinking about what to tell Booker" his blonde friend told him. Ah…he should probably have figured that out actually.

"Okay…Well, it's probably best to just put it as simply as possible. Just keep it short and polite but with no room for discussion" he replied, trying to give some sound advice that could get Booker to comply, without creating any hostility between them.

"Yeah, I know…It's just always so…unpleasant and awkward doing something like that" Rapunzel replied, her green eyes conveying the insecurity she felt about the situation.

"Yeah it is…but it needs to be done"

"What are you guys talking about?" Jack suddenly asked, interrupting their conversation. Hiccup turned his head and met the curious blue eyes of the pale Gryffindor. That was another thing Hiccup had discovered about Jack…he was incredibly curious. It was another trait that made Jack seem so child-like but it was also quite entertaining and even sweet sometimes, and Hiccup found that he didn't really mind when Jack would ask all kinds of questions. As long as he didn't ask about dragons. Which he hadn't done so far, even though Hiccup knew that he was probably brimming with curiosity. That just seemed to reinforce Hiccup's view of Jack as a genuinely good guy.

"Well…Rapunzel has been paired up with Neal Booker for a Care of Magical Creatures assignment and he's too lazy to do his part of the work" Hiccup explained calmly, but still feeling very irritated about it.

Jack shook his head and then rolled his eyes. "He's always been such a slacker" he said with a hint of annoyance in his tone.

"Definitely…it's not the first time he's done something like that" Flynn added and furrowed his brow, also seeming rather irritated by it.

"Yeah well…he needs to realize that he has to pull his own weight" Hiccup said firmly.

"Definitely. Ugh…It's so annoying when people think they can just get others to do their work for them" Jack said in a frustrated tone of voice that Hiccup wasn't used to hearing from him. In this moment though he appreciated it, as Jack seemed just as annoyed by slackers as he was. Even though Jack was carefree and somewhat childish, he was definitely not the type of person to try and mooch off other's work.

"Yeah, it is" Hiccup replied and nodded slowly.

"I hope he get's his act together" Jack said honestly and observed Rapunzel with genuine concern. Hiccup found himself appreciating Jack even more now.

"He better…or I'll definitely have a talk with him" Hiccup replied confidently and crossed his arms.

Rapunzel instantly groaned. "Hiccuuuuup….I told you I'm going to talk with professor Lucero if Booker doesn't listen to me, there's no need for you to do anything"

"I know that, but you don't have that much time to do the assignment, so the sooner he pulls himself together the better" he argued. It was true and they both knew it, so Rapunzel didn't have long to get Booker to focus.

"Wow Hic, am I sensing some overprotectiveness there?" Jack said with a smirk gracing his lips and nudged his shoulder playfully.

Rapunzel immediately snorted. "_Some_…try a whole lot"

"You're exaggerating now" he insisted and rolled his eyes in defiance…and perhaps a little amusement. Just a little. He was a little overprotective of his friends though…he was well aware of that.

"Oh no, I'm not" his blonde friend instantly retorted. "I would never set _you_ on anyone, unless I had a _serious_ problem" she finished and the corners of her lips quirked upwards. Hiccup heard Jack and Flynn chuckle.

"You make him sound like some kind of deadly weapon" Jack joked and shot a smirk at the bubbly blonde.

"He definitely is in his own way…you try getting on the bad side of someone's overprotective Viking big brother and see what happens" Rapunzel giggled.

"Huh…overprotective Viking big brother…that _does _sound a little intimidating" Jack chuckled. "Especially now that dear Hic here has had that crazy growth spurt" the pale Gryffindor added, his clear blue eyes shining with amusement.

"That's right Frosty, so you better make sure I'm happy. I can't be held responsible for the devastation of unleashing my uncontainable Viking wrath" Hiccup retorted, making sure to shake one of his fists in a mock threatening manner.

Jack, Flynn and Rapunzel all immediately chuckled at his comment.

"Right" Jack smirked. "So how do you keep an awkward, brainy Viking happy, exactly?"

"Oh, that's easy…" Rapunzel started. "Keep him supplied with books, paper and pencils, give him some fish to eat, some weapons training once in a while and shield him from any kind of social interaction that could potentially trigger a massive fit of pure awkwardness" the blonde said teasingly and giggled.

"Oh, ha ha" Hiccup replied sarcastically and rolled his eyes. Of course Rapunzel was spot on…except for deliberately avoiding mentioning Toothless, as that wasn't something Jack or Flynn should know. Hiccup spotted Astrid enter the classroom with her two friends Katie and Megan and he gave her a small wave, before turning back to the conversation.

"Well, those things I can definitely do" Jack grinned brightly. "Well…except for the weapons training…thing".

"Then what good are you, Snowcone? I need to unleash that destructive, unstoppable force within" Hiccup said sarcastically and puffed out his chest a little for emphasis. He heard the others chuckle.

"Well, you could always use Jackie as a practice dummy" Flynn interjected, leaning a little forward and shooting Jack a teasing grin.

"Heey! Someone this beautiful and amazing shouldn't go to waste being a damn practice dummy" Jack objected and nudged Flynn's shoulder. Hiccup felt an amused smile grace his lips, as he observed the two Gryffindors.

"At least you'd have some kind of practical purpose then" Flynn shot back and nudged Jack's shoulder in return.

"Oh, I have a purpose all right…spreading cheer and awesomeness everywhere I go" the pale teen chuckled.

"Geez Jack, aren't you the humble one?" Hiccup interjected sarcastically and an amused smirk tugged the corners of his lips upwards.

"Well, I don't need to be…you're plenty humble for the both of us, Hic"

"Hey, don't use me as some kind of compensation for your inflated ego. Get your own humbleness" Hiccup replied jokingly and furrowed his brow, pretending to disapprove. He always found Jack's mock arrogance and smug demeaner very entertaining, but it was also kind of interesting that Jack actually wasn't anything like that…he was confident and comfortable in his own skin, yes, but he wasn't full of himself in any way.

"Don't be such a humbleness hog, Hic. You need to learn how to share. What's yours is obviously mine" Jack beamed at him in amusement and somehow it made him feel delighted. A happy grin spread across his face, before he once again put his face in neutral folds.

"Do you have like…_any_ sense of boundaries?" he deadpanned and raised an eyebrow.

Flynn scoffed. "No…_that_ doesn't exist…it's like Merida's manners…or your confidence"

"Heey!" Hiccup objected, while Jack and Rapunzel both snickered at Flynn's comment.

Transfiguration had been very entertaining, as the two Gryffindors and two Ravenclaws attempted to transfigure rats into badgers. Hiccup felt one of those rare pangs of faint pride, as he managed to do a full transfiguration as the first person in class. Rapunzel wasn't that far behind though, and after about half an hour Jack and Flynn had both managed to do it as well, unlike several other students in the room. Some of the first attempts by all of them had been hilarious though. At Hiccup's first try the rat had become as big as a badger and the same coloration but besides that…it was still just a large, black and white mutant rat. At Jack's first attempt, the back end of the rat had turned into a badger, while the front end remained as it was, causing the four teens to break into a laughter fit. Hiccup found himself thinking how entertaining it was to hang out with Jack and his friends during classes, and judging from Rapunzel's and Fishleg's reactions the last couple of days, they didn't mind at all either.

~~~~ Jack ~~~~

Jack and Merida had both been excited to start Quidditch practice again, having been away from the sport for the whole summer. He and his curly-haired friend definitely shared an intense love of flying. Somehow it just felt like freedom…the wind on your skin, the speed that could sometimes cause great surges of adrenaline, the view…everything about it. After Care of Magical Creatures, Jack had met up with his red-haired friend in the common room. After the two of them had gone to their dormitories and donned the usual red and yellow Quidditch uniforms, they had walked together towards the Quidditch pitch, their broomsticks in hand, discussing the newest Quidditch broom model. There was a slight crisp chill in the air, and it was raining softly, delicate sprinkles of drops flowing from the grey, cloudy skies, leaving its faint chilly touches on Jack's skin. It wasn't the best weather for Quidditch practice, but they never cancelled it unless there was a serious storm or something like that. Jack didn't really mind though. He kind of liked the rain.

As they reached the Quidditch pitch, Jack spotted Astrid among the other members of their team, standing in the middle of them explaining something. He felt slightly irritated at the sight of her. Sure, he had seen her in several classes today and she had even said good morning to him during Defense against the Dark Arts, but now they actually had to interact after their tense little encounter in the hallways. Well, this was going to be…interesting.  
>When the two Gryffindors approached their fellow teammates and Astrid spotted them, she gave him a nod and a small, strained smile. He chose to ignore her, even though he knew it was childish. Right now he just didn't feel like pretending. He was still pretty irritated with her and she should know that. He and Merida both waved and greeted the rest of the team, who were all smiling warmly at them.<p>

Jack and Merida had been the last ones to arrive, and Astrid didn't waste time in getting them all started. She informed them of the drills they were going to be practicing today, and they all listened attentively as she spoke. Jack had to admit that Astrid definitely possessed a natural air of authority that made people pay attention to her. He sighed to himself and felt a little relaxed at the feel of droplets sliding down the soft skin on his face. Even though it was only raining a little, he noticed how his clothes were already feeling slightly clingy from the invading dampness of the raindrops.

As it turned out, Quidditch practice wasn't such an awkward, tense experience as Jack had thought it would be. Yes, he had been looking forward to being in the air on his broom again, doing intricate maneuvers, working on developing his skills, teasing Merida by yelling cheeky things to her that riled her up, but he had worried a little about being around Astrid. When they began practicing though, his hesitations melted away and he simply enjoyed the fun in flying and being around his teammates. When he had thrown a particularly sarcastic, teasing remark in Merida's face as he flew past her in his search for the snitch, she had made use of her beater's bat and smacked him on the back with it, grinning evilly afterwards.

Jack was surprised to find that Astrid was actually less of a pain in the ass than usual. She had been less of a slavedriver and more patient, instructive and calm. She had even complimented Jack a few times, when he'd done a particularly swift or complicated maneuver. It was strange. It wasn't unusual that she complimented him or the others when they had done well somehow, but after yesterdays encounter Jack definitely hadn't expected her to do that. He found himself thinking that it almost seemed like Astrid felt guilty about being so aggressive towards him. He pushed the thought away though. He couldn't possibly know anything about that, so it was no use thinking about it.  
>When practice was over, he and Merida were both drenched from being out in the rain for so long. His clothes felt heavy on his body and they clinged to his skin in a sticky, unpleasant way. His white locks were drooping from the water, abandoning their usual spiky quality, and even though he didn't feel cold at all (as usual), the tips of his fingers had taken on a faint pink colour. As he looked at Merida, he could instantly see that she was definitely freezing now. She was hugging herself in an attempt to get warm and her teeth were clattering a little. He smiled warmly at her and felt a tug of empathy, as they began walking away from the pitch in amiable silence. They both really wanted to get back to the dormitories to get a shower and a change of clothes. Right now the thought of dry, clean clothes was heavenly.<p>

"Jack" he heard a familiar voice say, but the use of his first name caught him off guard. Astrid never called him Jack. He turned around to see the blonde girl standing behind him, watching him intently with those sky blue eyes.

"Just go on, Mer" He told Merida, who eyed Astrid with curiosity but then nodded and began walking away from the two of them. She didn't need much convincing, as she was probably really looking forward to taking a hot shower and chase away the cold.

"Yes?" He asked Astrid cooly. He wasn't sure what she wanted, but he was still a little annoyed with her.

"Look…I know I shouldn't have done what I did yesterday" Astrid began, her brow furrowed a little. Okay, this was definitely interesting. He hadn't been expecting that.

"No…you shouldn't" he agreed with her and crossed his arms.

"I know that. I snapped because everyone had been constantly trying to get information out of me about Hiccup and the dragons. Like I said…I shouldn't have done it. I still mean every word I said, but I shouldn't have been so aggressive and I definitely shouldn't have pushed you" the blonde girl explained honestly, and continued to watch him with those sky blue eyes that now seemed very tired all of the sudden. It sounded like the whole dragon thing hadn't been too easy for Astrid either, even if Hiccup got the worst of it.

"Well, we agree on that" Jack simply said and shrugged before letting his arms drop to his sides. He knew that this was as close as he was ever going to get to receiving an actual apology from Astrid. The blonde Viking girl was stubborn and proud, so even saying these things to him right now was probably very difficult for her. "Look…like I said yesterday…I get that you're trying to protect Hiccup, but I'm not going to do anything to him" Jack tried to reassure her.

Astrid nodded a few times slowly and continued observing him with her analyzing blue eyes. There was no hostility or anger in them though.

"Okay, Jack…I hope you mean that" she said genuinely and Jack actually saw a glimpse of that soft demeanor that she had around Hiccup, which surprised him. It was a tiny flicker of a whole other side of Astrid that Jack wasn't familiar with at all.

"I mean it" he replied honestly and gave her a small smile. The fact that she had regretted being so aggressive with him had made him less annoyed with her. She was still too overprotective and he didn't appreciate her trying to warn him, but somehow he also understood her need to shield Hiccup.

Astrid nodded once again. "Good…" she said softly. "I'll see you around Jack" she finished, before a tiny smile tugged the corners of her lips upwards, and she turned around and walked away briskly, leaving him in the light, gentle rain.

~~~~ Jack ~~~~

It had been such a great feeling to take a shower and wash away the sweat, dirt and rainwater from the intense training. His overworked muscles had instantly relaxed as the hot water trickled down his pale skin, soothing the aches in his body with its warm touch, and it had been such a pleasant clean sensation to wash his snow-white hair, rinsing out any impurities that stuck to it. As he put on some clean, dry clothes, relishing the soft and warm feeling, he briefly thought about Astrid. She was truly a confusing person…at least to him. It was quite fascinating how she could change moods so quickly. She obviously cared a lot about Hiccup though, and they were clearly good friends despite being so different. Somehow, Jack's thoughts turned to whether the two Vikings were more than friends and for some reason he found himself hoping they weren't. Hiccup should be with someone a little more…easy going than Astrid. Someone that Jack could get along with.

As he was walking down the old stone corridors on his way to the library, he savored that clean, crisp and slightly cool feeling that occurred, when his movements caused air to brush through his damp white hair. It was a pleasant, refreshing sensation that tingled the skin on his head and he found himself feeling revitalized.

When he spotted Hiccup waiting for him outside the library, he smiled to himself. He'd really been looking forward to meeting up with the Ravenclaw, even though they would be studying. There would probably be some time for friendly conversation though, which was what Jack really wanted to do. As Hiccup spotted him approaching, a small smile quirked his lips upwards and he gave Jack a friendly wave.

"Hi Hic!" Jack said happily.

"Hey Jack" the brunet replied with warm friendliness evident in his tone.

"Let's find a place to sit, shall we?" he said and motioned towards the entrance to the library with his head.

The two teens entered the library and looked around their surroundings to find somewhere fairly private and quiet to sit. Hiccup motioned for Jack to follow him and he did, as they made their way past bookshelf after bookshelf of the huge old library, until they reached one of the farthest corners from the entrance. A small square table and four chairs were placed in the corner with bookshelves all around it, except for a small opening. This made the corner pretty isolated from the rest of the library.

"Is this where you usually sit, or?" Jack asked curiously.

"Yup. I like my privacy"

"No kidding. I hadn't even noticed that" Jack said sarcastically.

"How could you? I'm practically a ray of social sunshine" Hiccup retorted dryly. Jack chuckled. That was so not what Hiccup was.

Hiccup had plopped down into one of the chairs and placed his black satchel on the table, quickly rummaging through it and pulling out his textbook, some parchment and his quill. Jack sat down on a seat across from Hiccup and felt his legs and back relax instantly. It was really nice to sit down after almost two hours of Quidditch practice. His entire body was pretty tired and sore, so some physical rest was definitely appreciated.

They quickly picked up where they'd left off the last time, eagerly discussing the various strategies for defending yourself against the basilisk, and briefly taking a slight detour from the assignment, when they began talking about how there had once been a basilisk at Hogwarts in the chamber of secrets.

After having worked for about an hour, shooting sarcastic remarks at each other in between discussing, reading and Hiccup eagerly writing, they had agreed to take a break. Rightly so, in Jack's opinion. They'd been working pretty hard and both been very focused, so they deserved to relax a little.

They joked around with each other and enjoyed some casual conversation that was centered on some very different topics. They had begun discussing movies, in which they found out that they had quite similar tastes. Jack had learned about Hiccup's, Fishlegs' and Rapunzel's movie marathon nights at Rapunzel's house, and he told Hiccup about how confused Mavis had been in their first couple of years about anything muggle related, such as the movie quotes he and Flynn would sometimes throw out into the middle of a conversation. Hiccup definitely seemed to relate to that, as he and Fishlegs had been completely oblivious about such things at first too until Rapunzel took it upon herself to educate them on these matters. Hiccup had also told him that he had begun working on Merida's bow, and that he was really hoping she'd like it. Jack's eyes softened at that. He still couldn't believe that Hiccup had actually offered to make a bow for his red-haired friend. As the conversation carried on, Hiccup was telling Jack more about Viking culture, explaining some of the competitive sports and games they dabbled in on Berk, most of which sounded completely awesome, such as mountain climbing, fistfighting and oar jumping.

"What the hell is oar jumping?" He asked curiously. It sounded dangerous, but he would definitely need an explanation.

Hiccup smirked. "Well…it's a competitive sport, where you jump from oar to oar on the outside of a ship's railings as its being rowed, so it requires immense balance and agility."

Jack was silent for a few moments. Hiccup was kidding, right? No one would actually do something like that?

"That's…you're not serious?"

Hiccup's face split into a huge grin. "I'm very serious, Jack"

"What? How does someone come up with that?"

"I have no idea. It's a very ancient sport" Hiccup shrugged.

"Have you ever done it?" Jack found himself asking.

"Oh gods no…Even if I wanted to, I doubt that I could do it with my prosthetic" Hiccup quickly replied. Well that made sense…even though Hiccup didn't seem too bothered with his fake limb on a daily basis, extreme sports was another matter entirely.

"Oh right…Man, I wish I could see someone do some oar jumping"

"It's pretty amusing to watch…although it often ends in injuries, as most Viking sports do"

"No kidding" Jack grinned. It sounded like Vikings really enjoyed risky, dangerous pastimes. "What about games, do you have a lot of those too?"

"Oh yes…We have a lot of different boardgames and dicegames….not to mention drinking games" Hiccup explained and Jack flashed him a bright grin at that last example. "What the boardgames and dicegames usually have in common is that you can only win by thinking strategically"

"Huh…That sounds interesting. Why do they have that in common?"

"Being able to solve strategic problems is something that Vikings value a lot. The reason we're good warriors is not just because of strength, battle training and familiarity with pain, but also because we train our ability to think strategically, so we can plan out our moves and be able to stay two steps ahead of any enemies…It's too bad that a lot of people seem to think that Vikings are kind of stupid. If we were actually unintelligent, we wouldn't be able to be great warriors at all" Hiccup explained while gesturing eagerly with his hands. That definitely made sense to Jack.

"Well, you're right about that. It doesn't really matter how strong you are, if you are too stupid to predict your enemies' moves and use their weaknesses against them" he replied and leaned back in his chair.

"Very true" Hiccup agreed and a small smile quirked his lips upwards.

"What about the drinking games?" he found himself asking.

"Well…Vikings drink…a lot" Hiccup chuckled.

"Yeah, I can imagine. That's definitely one thing that's wellknown about you guys" Jack replied and grinned at the Ravenclaw in front of him.

"It really is. Anyway, there are lots of different kinds, but they usually stretch on for looong periods of time"

"Why?"

"Because most Vikings have a seriously high tolerance of alcohol, so it takes a lot to get them really drunk"

Jack laughed at that, as he imagined Vikings sitting through the entire night with a table full of empty mugs, trying desperately to get the other one to cave in first. "Well except for you" he said teasingly, as Hiccup definitely didn't seem like the type who could handle a lot of alcohol.

"That used to be true but not anymore" Hiccup retorted and smirked in self-satisfaction. Jack tilted his head in curiosity.

"Really? You're able to hold your liquor now?"

"Definitely" Hiccup said. "In the last couple of years I've had a lot more practice back home, since I'm almost considered an adult now"

"Those wild Viking parties sound like so much goddamn fun" Jack said excitedly. He really wished that he could come to one of those parties…it would probably be the night of his life. He briefly imagined himself being all tipsy with a huge mug of mead in his hand, dancing some old-timey rhythmic dance on the large wooden tables with a bunch of huge drunk Vikings with mead in their beards. Damn that would be awesome.

Hiccup laughed at that, and Jack once again found himself thinking that the guy should laugh more. His whole face lit up and his laugh was definitely a pleasant sound.

"They really are" he agreed and nodded. "No one can party like Vikings"

As the conversation carried on and moved towards other topics, Jack ended up telling Hiccup a lot more about his family, like how close he and Emma was, what happened when he and his family found out that he was a wizard and how his family had become quite attached to his Hogwarts friends over the years, basically seeing them as family members now. The Ravenclaw listened patiently and asked some clarifying questions once in a while, seeming genuinely interested to know more about his background, which Jack felt quite happy about. After all…if they were going to be friends, they needed to know more about each other.

"So…you guys actually spend time at all of your houses every holiday? That sounds pretty time consuming" the Ravenclaw asked in sincere curiosity, as he twirled his quill in his hand.

"It is, but we only spend a few days each place, so it's not too bad. And then we spend the rest of the holidays in our own homes. But it's really nice to have them around, and we've come to know each others parents and siblings really well too, so I always look forward to visiting all of them" Jack explained, gesturing with his hands to underline his words. He seemed to be doing that more than usual…maybe that was Hiccup's doing.

"That sounds nice. I really like visiting Rapunzel's family too…so…there are no strict parents or annoying siblings at all?" Hiccup asked with an amused smirk on his lips.

"Well…Merida has three younger brothers who are identical triplets and they get into all sorts of trouble constantly. They are definitely the menace of the whole neighborhood. Personally I think it's hilarious, but Merida's parents don't always agree. Don't tell anyone, but I actually help them with their pranks once in a while" he revealed to the brunet watching him from across the table.

Hiccup chuckled. "Of course you do"

"Hey, someone needs to pass the torch and teach them the ancient, sacred art of pranking" Jack grinned and held up his hands in a surrendering gesture.

"Ahh, yes…the ancient sacred art of pranking…" Hiccup said sarcastically and rolled his eyes.

"Yeah, that's what it is!...anyway…there's also Mavis' dad. He used to be really paranoid that me and Flynn were trying to date her behind his back, so he watched us constantly like a hawk, whenever we visited her. He even made us sleep in a room in the other end of their huge manor, because he was so worried that her virtue was in danger. And we weren't allowed to do anything remotely fun. He made us play bingo and do water aerobics for crying out loud!" Jack chuckled. Her dad really had been way too suspicious, but luckily he had managed to relax during the years. Now it was actually a pleasant experience to visit Mavis' house.

Hiccup's face lit up in a huge grin. "Seriously?"

When Jack nodded, the Viking boy laughed…a lot. His sides were practically splitting. Jack found himself beaming at the brunet in front of him, who had trouble breathing now.

"Well, I'm glad you're amused" Jack said sarcastically, although he really meant it. It was nice when Hiccup loosened up.

Hiccup got his breathing under control again and chuckled. "It's just…the image of Jack Frost and Flynn Rider doing water aerobics is now burned into my brain forever"

"Oh, ha ha ha" Jack said sarcastically, but was unable to hide his own amused grin. "Haven't you ever been forced to do something like that?"

"Gods no" Hiccup said, his eyes widening for a few seconds, as if that idea was truly horrifying.

"Well you are lucky then…Better hope you never meet Mavis' dad" he grinned.

"Definitely. Paranoid overprotective parent, no thank you" Hiccup replied and crossed his arms.

"Yeah, we definitely agree on that one…When we met him the first time, somehow the sentence "Dad, these are my friends Jack and Flynn" got all scrambled in his brain to mean "Dad, this is Jack and Flynn, even though they're only 12 years old, they won't hesitate to jump anything with a pulse" Jack grinned, vividly recalling the first time he met his friend's overprotective dad.

Hiccup chuckled at that. "Wow, he saw right through you two, didn't he?"

"Oh, laugh it up, Viking boy" Jack said and shot Hiccup an evil glare. Then he added: "What about your dad…is he like that?"

"No, not in any way. It's pretty rare to find an overprotective Viking parent, they want their children to learn how to be independent and be able to survive and that means getting hurt once in a while…Sure, my dad worries about me sometimes and he wants me to be safe, but he's not suspicious of the people I spend time with and he doesn't treat me like a child" Hiccup explained.

"Well that's nice. North and Anna are like that too actually…they know that I can handle myself and they've always welcomed any friends of mine with open arms"

Hiccup nodded. "They sound great"

"They really are" Jack replied and flashed the Ravenclaw a warm and genuine smile.

As the two teens carried on their casual, friendly conversation, Jack had quickly found out, that Hiccup didn't like talking about his own past back home. He didn't mind telling Jack trivia about Vikings and their culture, the archipelago and such, but whenever they brushed the subject of how Hiccup's childhood had been, his green eyes would darken a little and become slightly unfocused for a tiny flicker of a moment, clearly recalling some unpleasant memories, and then he would subtly steer the conversation in another direction. Jack didn't know what had happened to him in the past, but it was obviously still painful for him to think about…He really didn't like that look on Hiccup's face. It spoke of someone who had experienced too much too young, and although he was damn curious about what had happened, he knew that they didn't know each other well enough for that. Maybe one day Hiccup would trust him enough to share those troublesome fragments of his past.

After getting back to work for a while, Jack found his thoughts wandering once again. As he had told Hiccup about his family, a thought had occurred to him. It must be very strange for Hiccup to be so far away from home. Sure, everyone here at Hogwarts were away from home, but almost everyone was at least from Britain, which Hiccup wasn't. This had led him to a brief reflection.

"Hey, Hic?" he asked hesitantly, not wanting to disturb the guy, as he was still writing down the last thing they had agreed to add to their assignment.

"Yeah?" Hiccup replied, not pausing from scribbling down letters on the parchment.

"I've been thinking…"

"Be careful with that, you might hurt yourself" Hiccup deadpanned, still observing the paper in his lap and continuing to trace steady fluid movements across it with his quill.

"Oh, ha ha, you lowly Viking…but seriously…I was thinking…Why aren't you, Fishlegs and Astrid at Durmstrang? That's in Scandinavia, right?" Jack found himself asking with genuine interest. It would definitely seem like the obvious choice for three Vikings. So how had they ended up here? Not that Jack minded of course…the more he got to know Hiccup the more he appreciated him and the more he realized just how interesting a person he really was.

"Yup, it is. There's a very simple reason though" Hiccup replied, still slightly absent-minded as he continued to write.

"Oh?"

"They don't accept Muggleborns…So we're really not welcome there" the Viking explained without much emotion in his voice, his green eyes still focused on the paper in front of him.

"You're serious?" Jack found himself asking in disbelief. He had no idea that things were still like that at the Scandinavian magic school. He honestly thought that muggleborns were now welcome at all magical schools, since Voldemort was no longer a threat.

"Very" Hiccup answered shortly.

"That's just…pathetic. I mean…since Voldemort was defeated like 10 years ago, you'd think that those thoughts would have slowly been eradicated" Jack found himself saying. How could anyone still seriously believe in that sort of thing? Jack was muggleborn himself and he definitely didn't feel inferior to pure bloods or halfbloods, why should he? They all had equal rights to study magic.

"They won't ever be eradicated, Jack. They've become less common…luckily…and they might continue to subside, but they'll always be there lurking somewhere in the background" Hiccup said, mumbling slightly with his green eyes still trained on the paper and his quill. It was actually a little impressive that he managed to have this conversation, while thinking about the assignment and writing things down simultaneously. Jack wasn't much of a multi-tasker himself. He got way too distracted and just ended up writing down whatever he was talking with that person about, instead of what he was supposed to write.

"What do you mean?" Jack asked curiously, tilting his head of white hair slightly. He found that he really liked hearing Hiccup's thoughts on deeper subjects, such as when the Viking had responded to Jack's surprise of how well he handled pain, by explaining how it was natural to make assumptions based on shallow observations and somehow form an entire opinion of someone, but that underneath the surface everyone had traits, secrets, values, that could change people's entire view of them in a heartbeat.

Hiccup stopped writing and lowered his quill, focusing his intense, analyzing green eyes on Jack instead of the paper. He remained silent of a few moments, seemingly contemplating something.

"Well…there's no easier way to form a bond between people than to create a common enemy that unites them. Mugglehating purebloods all see muggleborns as identical…we are all low, filthy creatures without any individuality, and that's what makes it so easy for them to hate us…It's difficult to hate someone the more you know about them, because that makes them more human in your mind...so they all label us as the same from the beginning. They can see us as the enemy, and creating an enemy strengthens the bonds between them and their sense of identity and belonging, because they can all agree on what they are not…they are not the filthy lowly mudbloods, they can agree that they are much better than that" Hiccup explained calmly.

Jack found himself being silent for a few moments, as he took in Hiccups words, while the brunet trained his eyes on one of the bookshelves and seemed to be thinking. Hiccup seemed to have a pretty good understanding of how people think and their motivations behind their actions, and Jack found himself thinking that it must have something to do with Hiccup's own troubled past. Obviously, Jack had no idea exactly what he had experienced except some bullying here at Hogwarts, but it often seemed like the most observant people with the sharpest knowledge of human behavior were actually the one's who had somehow been damaged by them.

"You seem like you have experience with this kind of thing" Jack said thoughtfully and watched Hiccup intently. The Ravenclaw's face didn't give anything away though.

Hiccup shrugged and his green eyes met Jack's blue ones once again. "Not mugglehating purebloods, but…I've seen other examples of it…here…at home…out in the world. It happens everywhere and all the time. It's human nature".

"It is" Jack agreed. "We want to find out who we are, and we think we know that when we believe we've found out what makes us different from others…but… we just haven't. I could easily watch a Slytherin and think "oh, you're just so damn manipulative and untrustworthy, and that's what makes you different from me", but first of all it might not be true at all about that particular Slytherin even if I was sure that it applies to all of them and second of all…if I got to know him…or her…I might find that we have all kinds of other things in common…maybe that Slytherin has a little sister that they love more than anything too…maybe they really enjoy snowball fights…maybe they also hate Arithmancy…It's just…quite unbelievable how dense we are sometimes when it comes to our own minds and how we usually don't question how we see others at all but just accept the first, shallow thoughts we form which then becomes the truth for us" Jack explained and hoped that Hiccup would understand what he meant. It wasn't often he found himself in almost philosophical discussions like this, but he found that he actually enjoyed it.

Hiccup's eyes instantly softened and a faint ghost of a smile tugged at the corners of his lips, as he observed him for a few silent moments with that piercing gaze. Jack felt like he had passed some kind of test, and he was genuinely happy that Hiccup seemed to approve of his answer and opinions on the subject. Hiccup was obviously very intelligent, Jack had always known this, but these conversations they'd had lately just confirmed that his intelligence wasn't limited to school-related topics. He seemed to be one of those people, who could figure out what made people tick simply through observation, and that was a rare gift in Jack's opinion.

"Well said" Hiccup said warmly and nodded slowly a few times. "And that's why I don't think those kinds of thoughts will ever disappear completely".

"That makes sense…since they come from people's search for identity" Jack finished and thought about that for a few moments. It was sort of depressing, really…

"You can be quite philosophical when you want to be, Jack" Hiccup said, his green eyes conveying a genuinely friendly warmth, as he gave him a crooked smile. Somehow a warm and slightly tickling sensation spread inside Jack's stomach, as if he had achieved something special.

"Thanks, I know I'm awesome" he replied with that air of superiority in place.

Hiccup shook his head. "Sure you are…anyway, break time is over".

Jack couldn't hold back the whine that escaped his lips then.

~~~~ Hiccup ~~~~

As he held his quill firmly in his hand, forming neat, orderly letters to add the latest thing he and Jack had agreed should be in this assignment, he thought about how much he enjoyed spending time with the pale snow-haired teen. He had been worrying several times during the day, since he read the troublesome news from his dad, but being around Jack who was so carefree and entertaining managed to quell his concerns for a while. Even though they hadn't known each other for long, Hiccup somehow found himself thinking that they could actually be friends, when they got to know each other better. They definitely had a lot of fun together, as their friendly banter was seriously entertaining and somehow came naturally to them. He also enjoyed learning more about Jack and his background. It was too bad though, that he wasn't in any way ready to share things about his own childhood. He knew that Jack meant well and just wanted to get to know him better, but his past as an outcast and a disappointment had left some emotional scars that he preferred to keep to himself and his closest friends. He was well aware that Jack had picked up on his discomfort and his discreet ways of changing the direction of the conversation, whenever it turned towards his childhood, but he was nice enough not to mention it, which Hiccup was grateful for.

When he had finished writing the page, he began rummaging through his satchel looking for more parchment. He suddenly furrowed his brow in confusion as he spotted a folded note inside the bag and took it out. Then he sighed to himself. He didn't have to read it to know what it was. He placed it back into the satchel without unfolding it, not wanting anything to do with it, and found the parchment he was looking for.

"Fangirl mail, Hic?" Jack asked with a grin on his face. Great. Jack really seemed to enjoy teasing him about his new popularity with the girls at the castle and how awkward it made him feel. Somehow it amused him and slightly frustrated him at the same time. He knew that Jack's teasing was entirely friendly, but sometimes he wished that he wasn't so easy to embarrass.

"Seems like it" he replied and shrugged casually. He would give the note to Rapunzel and Fishlegs later and let them read it. After all…if it wasn't a flirty note but maybe a death threat or something else important, he'd want to know about it. If it was some girl who had never given him the time of day before though, he wasn't interested and didn't want to waste time and energy becoming all flustered and embarrassed by reading a strange girl's flirty words.

"Still not going to read it?" the pale teen asked and tilted his head a little in obvious curiosity. Jack really seemed to do that a lot, he'd noticed. It suited him well though, as it was a slightly child-like move.

"Nope". There was no way he would ever do that. His current system worked just fine and he intended to keep it that way.

"They just want you to give them a smooch, you know" Jack grinned widely, his blue eyes sparkling with obvious entertainment, as he was leaning back in his chair casually. Damn that pale Gryffindor Hiccup thought to himself in amusement. Jack was clearly loving this.

"Well…not going to happen" he replied dryly and turned his gaze towards the opening of the bookcases surrounding their little corner. He could see some young Hufflepuffs joking around with each other, laughing and talking excitedly in the distance.

"Too scared to get your first kiss?" he heard Jack say teasingly. Hiccup wasn't sure if Jack actually believed he was completely inexperienced, or if he was just joking around with him.

Hiccup scoffed. "I've kissed girls before, Jack"…And a boy once…but he'd never told anyone that. Not even Rapunzel, Fishlegs or Astrid knew, so he wasn't about to share that little secret with Jack. He was still not looking at the pale teen across from him, but continued to observe the Hufflepuffs, who were now apparently saying goodbye to each other before splitting up in two groups and walking their separate ways.

"Really?" he heard Jack's voice say and it sounded like he had once again surprised the prankster It was strange how people always seemed to assume that he was hopeless when it came to romance. Sure, he'd never had an actual relationship, but he wasn't a totally inexperienced mess either. People's assumptions probably had something to do with his past as a short, scrawny nerd, he concluded. Apparently no one had seemed to think that anyone would kiss him or let him kiss them.

He tore his eyes away from the retreating forms of the Hufflepuffs, turned his head and focused on Jack, who was watching him with genuine interest in his blue eyes and something else that Hiccup couldn't figure out.

"Uh, yeah? I'm not completely inexperienced, you know" he replied and shrugged.

"Interesting….So…who was it? Spill!" Jack sounded way too excited right now and Hiccup didn't like where this was going. Why did he tell Jack that he had kissed someone, again? It would probably have been a smarter move to just say that he was as innocent as a fanatic nun, handle the teasing comments that would follow and then leave it at that. Now Jack was definitely going to try and get him to tell him all about it. Well…shit.

"How about "no?" he deadpanned in an attempt to get Jack to drop it. Somehow though, he already knew that it would be a futile effort.

"Come on, Hic. Was it someone here at Hogwarts?" the pale Gryffindor asked eagerly and leaned forward in his chair a little in anticipation.

Hiccup remained silent, but immediately realized his mistake. By then it was too late though, as Jack's face split into a huge grin. Great. He had read him like an open book.

"Oh, it totally was!...Who?" Jack's face had practically lit up in curiosity, and Hiccup found himself thinking that it was actually sort of sweet how excited he got about seemingly small, trivial things like this.

"I'm not telling you anything, Snowflake" he said defiantly and crossed his arms. He wasn't giving up without a fight, Hiccup thought to himself in amusement.

"Come on Hic, don't be such a grump. I'll tell you about my first kiss?"

"Jack, seriously…."

"Was it that bad, huh? Did she slap you? Or did you find out that you were actually related? Or was it interrupted by a crashing blimp that left her injured?" Jack said quickly with wide amused eyes and continued to list strange scenarios.

Oh gods, was Jack just going to continue like that until he caved?

"Did she transform into a unicorn? Did you pee your pants?"

Yes. He was in fact going to do just that.

"Were you struck by lightning? Did you find out that she was actually a guy?" Jack continued. Hiccup snorted mentally at the last suggestion.

"Did an angry midget interrupt you? Did you accidentally burp in her mouth?"

This was some kind of weird torture. That damn snow-haired prankster was actually going to bug him to death, wasn't he? Hiccup was seriously going to die by being bombarded with surreal, embarrassing scenarios until he lost the will to live. By Thor, that would be lame un-Vikingly death…Well, _someone_ was definitely going to be seriously haunted by a ghost that keeps signing him up for water aerobics classes _every day_ for the _rest _of his life.

"Did you suddenly get explosive diarrhea and it somehow spread to her so that-"

Okay, well this definitely needed to end.

"Here at the castle: Astrid and Rapunzel" Hiccup finally replied to get Jack to shut up. Now. Somehow the word "diarrhea" instantly made up his mind.

The pale teens blue eyes widened in surprise for a few seconds, and he became quiet for a moment, seemingly at a loss for words. Well, that had apparently shut him up, Hiccup thought smugly. Served him right. It was amusing to watch Jack become speechless, and he felt a little satisfied by it.

"_Rapunzel_?" Jack repeated in a high-pitched voice. "_Astrid_?! " he then finished, clearly in utter disbelief, as if Hiccup was trying to mess with him. Something briefly flickered in the pale teen's blue eyes, but Hiccup couldn't decipher what it was.

Hiccup smirked smugly in reply, crossed his arms and leaned back in his chair, waiting for the Gryffindor to accept the reality of his answer.

Jack picked up on his casual behavior and shook his head a few times. "Wha-…you're actually serious?"

"Yes" he replied shortly and continued to be amused by Jack's struggle to comprehend this. Of course he knew that it was a surprising thing to learn, but it was still a lot of fun to observe Jack, as his brain was clearly very confused right now, trying to fit the puzzle pieces together. A few moments of silence passed.

"Oh, now you have to spill it" Jack then said eagerly and rubbed his hands together slowly in anticipation.

"You're not going to let this go, are you?" Hiccup deadpanned and gave Jack a skeptical look, raising one of his eyebrows.

"Hell no, this sounds way too interesting" the Gryffindor insisted.

Hiccup sighed. He might as well get this over with. If there was one thing he already knew about Jack, it was that the guy did not give up when he wanted something.

"It's definitely not as interesting as it sounds. Astrid kissed me one time back on Berk about two years ago, after we survived the encounter with the dragon queen" He explained, and at the mention of the dragon, Jack seemed to perk up even more than before. He hadn't been sure whether to mention the dragon queen or not, but he decided that since the secret was out anyway, it didn't really matter. It wasn't like he was going to tell Jack anything else about it. Jack nodded in response, encouraging him to continue but not asking him anything about dragons, which was a good sign in Hiccup's opinion. Before continuing, he briefly thought of the moment where Astrid has kissed him. What he hadn't told Jack, was that she had done it after he had woken up from a coma. He had been completely baffled by it, his mind going blank as she pressed her lips on his. They had never really spoken of it since, and Hiccup just assumed that the kiss had happened because Astrid had been so relieved that he was alive and had woken up.

"With Rapunzel…It was after one of the few Ravenclaw parties that we'd actually gone to, a few years ago. Someone had snuck in some alcohol, so we got a bit drunk. At the end of the night we were talking about crushes and first kisses and such and she told me that she was so nervous about her first kiss. She was sure it was going to be horrible, because she would be so anxious about it. Somehow we ended up agreeing that I should kiss her, so her first kiss would be with someone she was comfortable with and trusted. I was drunk enough to think it was a good idea, so I did it." He explained softly, gesturing with his hands.

"That's…really heartwarming, actually" Jack responded and his blue eyes seemed to soften a little.

"Thanks…or whatever you might say to something like that".

"It sounds like something that'd be awkward in the morning though" Jack chuckled.

Hiccup shrugged. "Not really…We were both fine with it, but we agreed that it should never happen again". Which was true. Sure, he had kissed Rapunzel and it hadn't been horrible or anything, but they would never think of each other in that way. It had just been a friendly gesture, nothing more than that.

"Probably a good idea…not great messing up a friendship over something like that" Jack stated, looking slightly thoughtful. Maybe he had been in a similar situation, Hiccup wondered.

"Exactly. So…your turn. You said you'd tell me about your first kiss?"

"Well…I was 12 and back home for the summer after my first year here. One of North's old friends was visiting and brought her daughter, who was about my age. She was really pretty with blonde pigtails and brown eyes. Basically, I invited her into my treehouse, and after a lot of cups of imaginary tea, I manned up and gave her a peck on the lips" Jack explained.

"That's cute" Hiccup replied and found himself smiling genuinely, as he imagined a young Jack being all nervous in front of a girl, as he tried to find the courage to kiss her.

"It's freakin' adorable" Jack beamed. Apparently he was more than comfortable relaying his past romantic experiences. "Who else then?" the white-haired teen added curiously and tilted his head slightly to one side in that way of his that had already become very familiar to Hiccup.

"I'm not going to tell you that, Jack" Hiccup started again. He already knew that it was hopeless, because Jack would somehow manage to get it out of him, but he wasn't going down without a fight. He would at least pretend to resist a little.

"Come ooooon, Hic." Jack pouted and Hiccup chuckled a little. Jack was seriously amusing to watch sometimes, especially when his child-like nature took over.

"Fine" Hiccup started, defeated. That childish pouting and whining was like a secret weapon. "There was a girl back home from another tribe, who had come to visit Berk along with some representatives from her tribe. We were both 14 and I was given the job of keeping her occupied while her father participated in some official matters" Hiccup explained, gesturing with his hands to underline certain words, as had become a habit to him.

"And you did…_keep her occupied_" Jack's face split into a huge grin and he wagged his eyebrows suggestively.

Hiccup instantly groaned. "Could you_ not_ say stuff like that?" he asked the pale Gryffindor in equal amounts of awkwardness and amusement. He felt that particularly annoying warmth creep into his cheeks and he knew that he was now in fact blushing. Great idea, body…just show Jack how awkward we really feel right now. You useless traitor…

"Ahh, two young Vikings sharing a kiss…c'est l'amour*!" Jack said, throwing his hands in the air, mimicking a thick, French accent on the last two words. Hiccup rolled his eyes in response.

"Not really. More like some kissing and then never seeing each other again" he replied as he thought back to that time. They'd both been very nervous and inexperienced, but they'd ended up having quite the makeout session in the end. It had become a very fond memory, as that was the first time he was really properly kissed, not just a quick, awkward kiss.

And then…there was also that boy from the Meathead tribe, who Hiccup had met when he was brought along with his father to a diplomatic meeting and then had to occupy himself afterwards, when his father and Gobber got into a drinking game with the leader of the tribe and his son. They had both been 12 and after they had talked a little and played around with wooden swords in the forest, the boy had kissed him…it had been strange, but to his surprise, Hiccup had discovered that he didn't mind. There was no way he was going to tell Jack about that though, as that would definitely be a source of endless entertainment for the notorious mischivious Gryffindor. He hadn't kissed a boy since then, but somehow that fairly innocent experience had left a major impression on him. As he got older he had realized that he didn't care much about genders, but more about the person within. That didn't mean that he was fully comfortable with this realization though. He usually pushed any thoughts of it down, as it made his future even more complicated than it already was.

"Wow, that almost sounds like some kind of business transaction" Jack said jokingly and smirked a little in that smart-ass way of his.

"Call it what you want" Hiccup replied casually and shrugged in response.

"That's pretty cold, Hic. You probably broke the girl's heart"

"I seriously doubt that". Which he did. He was fairly certain that there were no feelings whatsoever involved in their little….kissing session.

"Come on, don't sell yourself short. She probably spent forever just pining for you and looking out at the ocean, remembering your kiss with longing" Jack said dramatically and clutched his chest in a mock pained gesture.

"Aww, come on" Hiccup immediately groaned. "Don't say that". Comments like that made him feel seriously awkward, and he had the feeling that Jack was well aware of this. That sneaky snow-loving Gryffindor…deliberately trying to get him to blush.

"Have you considered getting cured of your awkwardness, Hic?" Jack chuckled.

"Awkwardness is not some kind of condition, Jack" he replied with a raised eyebrow.

"Well, you _say_ that…" Jack responded cheekily and a grin spread across his face.

"Social awkwardness is my superpower. Don't ever try to change that, the world would be missing out on all of this" Hiccup said and gestured to himself.

"Right…I can imagine you now in a nerdy superhero outfit, standing shyly on a rooftop, trying to avoid human contact at all costs"

Hiccup chuckled. "I'm not that bad, Jack. I actually like being social, but only with a few people…If I have to be around a lot of people for a long time I get a social hangover"

Jack raised an eyebrow in a questioning manner. "A social hangover?"

"Feeling exhausted and getting a severe headache" he explained. There were plenty of people that he liked in one way or another, but he needed his space and his time alone.

Jack chuckled at that. "I'll never understand that…"

"Well, you're used to being popular and around a lot of people" Hiccup replied and shrugged. Jack seemed like he wanted t_o _be with people constantly. In that aspect, they probably couldn't be more different.

"You'd be surprised…" Jack started and seemed to be contemplating something for a few moments, his blue eyes a little unfocused. Huh. That was interesting. Where was he going with that? Hiccup found his curiosity increasing. He had always found it fascinating to discover new hidden, unexpected sides of people and this was no exception.

"How so?" he found himself asking, wanting to genuinely know more about it.

"Well…before I came to Hogwarts I only had two friends in my entire life: my best friend Jamie and my sister. The rest of the kids at school ignored me completely. It was like I didn't even exist. I never found out why they disliked me so much, but to them I was pretty much invisible…they never included me in anything, they always gave me the cold shoulder and pretended they didn't hear me when I asked them something …yeah…I was just invisible to all of them…" Jack explained softly.

"Really?" Hiccup asked in slight disbelief. That seemed like such a huge contrast to how Jack's life was now. He briefly wondered if that experience of social exclusion had somehow made Jack this happy to be around people all the time now.

"Yeah…not the best time in my life friend-wise" Jack said quietly and it seemed quite out of character for him. Apparently those kids had really wounded him...which was understandable. Hiccup found himself considering whether Jack's love of being the center of attention was related to how he had practically been invisible to other's his age…It was definitely possible.

"I can imagine…that sounds horrible" he found himself saying, while continuing to observe the pale teen in front of him.

"It was…Surprised?" Jack asked with a small smile on his lips.

"Definitely…I hadn't seen that one coming" He admitted while rubbing the back of his head in a few quick movements.

"There's always more" Jack said gently, a warm smile tugging at his lips after echoing Hiccup's own words. Hiccup found himself feeling a strange fluttering in his stomach, as he heard Jack say that. It was somehow…nice that Jack had actually remembered his words and apparently found them interesting enough to reflect upon. And of course he was right…Hiccup hadn't been expecting a popular, social butterfly like Jack to have experienced a fairly friendless early childhood, but it just goes to show how complex people really are…Even the popular, carefree, mischievous prankster in front of him had experienced the pain of being left out by others.

"There's always more" Hiccup said softly in a confirming manner, a small but genuine smile gracing his lips, and Jack's smile widened in response.

"What happened to Jamie?" Hiccup added, wondering if he and Jack were still friends. Sometimes people grew apart after all.

"He moved away…We still talk sometimes over the phone when I'm back home, but it's not really the same anymore" Jack sounded slightly sad about that, but that was to be expected.

"Sorry…" he found himself saying and meaning it. Losing that special bond you had with someone couldn't be easy. Not that he knew too much about that. Not having any friends at all until the age of 11, and then not having lost any of the one's he'd made since then, he didn't have any experience with it. He could imagine though.

"No worries. It happens" Jack shrugged.

"Yeah…I guess people sometimes grow apart or other circumstances get in the way"

"True…" Jack said and seemed thoughtful for a few moments. "By the way, why don't you and Astrid hang out more? You seem like really close friends, but I rarely see you spend time together?"

Well, that was a surprising question. Hiccup had definitely picked up on the tension between Astrid and Jack, so he hadn't really been expecting the pale Gryffindor to ask anything about her.

"Well…I guess it's just because we have completely different lives in many ways. She has a lot of friends and acquaintances that I don't really know and she spends a lot of time with them and on Quidditch and other activities besides classes, while I tend to stick with Fishlegs and Rapunzel and have a few hobbies that I love, but that aren't as timeconsuming as what Astrid's constantly doing….We do spend a lot of time together back home though"

"Huh. Well that makes sense I guess"

"You and Astrid really don't like each other, do you?"

Jack seemed surprised by his question, as he furrowed his brow for a few seconds. "Eh…I wouldn't exactly say that" he replied and shrugged.

"Jack…come on. I have eyes, you know" Hiccup replied. He had definitely noticed the tense air between Astrid and Jack in Defense against the Dark Arts, despite the fact that they had both tried to hide it.

"Well, it's not like I actually dislike her as such, it's just…she can be really bossy and serious" Jack said, his blue eyes looking thoughtful, as if he was recalling some particular memories.

Hiccup chuckled. "Yeah, she definitely can, but…she's a good person"

"Yeah, I guess. I just think our personalities clash a bit too much sometimes"

"Definitely…she's complained about you a few times over the years when you've pissed her off"

"Really?" Jack said, raising an eyebrow, an amused smirk gracing his lips.

"Oh yes…" Hiccup replied and a small smile tugged at the corners of his lips, as he remembered some of the things Astrid had complained about.

"Well, I have to say that I'm a bit surprised we haven't killed each other yet, after she was made captain of the Quidditch team" Jack replied with obvious amusement lacing his voice.

"I hope she's not too much of an evil dictator" Hiccup grinned. Astrid could be somewhat of a slavedriver, he remembered that from the classes where she had decided what they should do for dragon training, much to the hopelessness of the other teens.

"Oh, she definitely is…although she seemed to have lightened up a little for today's practice"

Well that was something…He knew that many people thought Astrid was a little bitchy, but she really wasn't. You just had to get to know her properly, as her tough, outspoken exterior could sometimes give people the wrong impression.

"That's good…She's actually not that uptight a person you know…She just have no tolerance for any kind of bullshit" Hiccup laughed.

"Hey, it takes two people to form a…strangely-tense-but-somehow-civil-although-not-friendly acquaintanceship." Jack said and then chuckled at his own description.

"True" Hiccup replied and smiled. "I know she's not always the easiest person to deal with, but she means a lot to me" he finished and felt a familiar tug of affection. He really did appreciate Astrid a lot. She was important to him and he knew that he could always rely on her no matter what.

"I know" Jack simply said and smirked. What? How exactly did he know that?

"How?" he found himself asking the pale teen in front of him.

"It was sort of obvious from the way you interact with each other that you're pretty close friends"

"Ah, I see…Well, that makes sense…" he replied. It was probably kind of obvious that he and Astrid were very comfortable around each other. After all…friends had very different ways of behaving around each other than mere acquaintances did.

"By the way….I was sort of wondering...if it's not too personal. How do you feel about the norse gods?" Jack asked with obvious curiosity shining in his blue eyes. Well, that was a strange question to throw out there. It needed some clarification.

"What do you mean by that?" Hiccup asked the pale teen. He wasn't entirely sure where Jack was going with this.

"I mean…do you believe in them?"

Huh…Interesting.

"Well…it's kind of complicated…In a way I don't really believe in any gods, but on the other hand it's very deeply ingrained in Viking culture, and it's what I've grown up with and been told my entire life, so it's become a part of me. A significant part. So I guess you could say that my sense of logic kind of prevents me from fully believing, but I don't want to let the gods go completely either. It's sort of comforting and familiar to have them as a part of my culture" he explained and hoped that Jack would understand what he meant. It really was an abstract matter, being placed somewhere inbetween believing and not believing.

Jack nodded eagerly and seemed to be perfectly satisfied with that answer.

"What about you?" Hiccup found himself asking. He really enjoyed discussing complicated topics and discovering other people's thoughts on the big questions in life.

"Well I don't believe in the norse gods" Jack said cheekily and stuck his tongue out.

"No shit, Sherlock. You know what I meant"

Jack grinned at him, before his features turned into a look of thoughtfulness for a few moments.

"Well…I'm not sure actually…how much do you know about the different religions?"

"I know quite a bit about the major ones. We've got books on a lot of different subjects back home that we've gotten from traders."

Jack nodded in understanding. "I guess I'm not certain what I believe, except that I don't think humans can ever know for sure…so even if there is a god…or gods…we can't ever be certain of it. It's too big for us to understand, so we won't find the definitive answers"

"So you're pretty much an agnostic" Hiccup concluded.

"If that's what it's called" the pale teen replied and shrugged.

"It is…I'm one too. I don't think we'll ever be able to find out if the gods actually exist or if they are just our own creation…they might be real, they might not be, we won't ever know" he explained and gave Jack a sincere smile.

The two teens sat in silence for a few moments, before Hiccup decided that they should get on with the assignment again. He focused his attention on the parchment in his lap. "We should get back to this" he told Jack, who seemed very disappointed by that, but Hiccup had expected him to react that way. After all, it was Jack. He'd much rather talk and joke around than work on assigments. Not that Hiccup didn't agree with that, he totally did, but he also wanted to make sure that they got their assignment done on time. He trained his green eyes on the pages in his textbook and began reading more about the Basilisk's venom.

"Awww, come on, Hic" Jack immediately interrupted him.

"No Jack, seriously…."

"Hiccuuuuuuuup" Jack pouted, and Hiccup felt a smile tugging at the corners of his lips, as he kept his eyes focused on the book. It was actually a little difficult resisting that childish whining right now.

"Jack, no talking right now"

"Fine…then I'll sing!" the pale Gryffindor said excitedly.

What the…? Hiccup lifted his head to observe Jack, who instantly broke into song.

"_Tell everybody I'm on my way, new friends and new places to see_" Jack began singing with a huge grin on his face, his pale fingers tapping eagerly on the table in the rhythm of the song. He didn't sing too loudly though, as they were still in the library.

Was that…? Yes it was…he definitely recognized that song. Jack really was a child at heart he thought to himself in friendly affection towards the Gryffindor.

"_With blue skies ahead, yes I'm on my way, and there's nowhere else that I'd rather beeeee_"

What the hell did he think he was doing? Hiccup felt a grin spread across his face. Jack really was one of those people who just did whatever they felt like, without worrying about what others might think.

"_Tell everybody I'm on my way, and I'm lovin' every step I take_" Jack continued to sing with joy evident on his face, fingers continuing to drum on the wooden surface.

Hiccup had a thought then and when Jack continued the next sentence of the song, he joined in.

"_With the sun beating down, yes I'm on my way, and I can't keep this smile off my face_" the Gryffindor and the Ravenclaw sang together, and Jack's eyes immediately widened in amusement and surprise. Sure, neither of them was a musical genius, but they did okay anyway in Hiccup's opinion. At least it was pretty funny.

"_So tell them all I'm on my way, new friends and new places to see, and to sleep under the stars, who could ask for more, with the moon keeping watch over me?_" they finished, and Jack instantly burst out laughing, causing Hiccup's lips to form into a bright grin. Jack's laughter and smiles were really infectious, and right now the Gryffindor's sides were splitting and his chest was heaving dramatically, trying to get some air.

"I can't believe_ that _just happened" he choked out, sounding breathless from the laughing fit. "I actually just had a _Disney duet_ with a freakin'_ Viking"_ he chuckled.

"I know, right? Cherish it for the rest of your life, Snowball" Hiccup replied in amusement, as he continued to watch the pale teen in front of him.

"How do you even _know_ that song?" Jack asked in disbelief, unable to remove the grin from his face.

"I've seen plenty of Disney films with Rapunzel" He answered and smirked at the Gryffindor. Rapunzel absolutely adored Disney films, and Hiccup and Fishlegs found them quite amusing too, so they sometimes watched one or two when they spent time at Rapunzel's house.

"Well, it's good to know that she's been educating you and Fishlegs' properly…you must have seen that one a lot though to know the lyrics"

"Not really. I just have a very good memory" Hiccup replied and shrugged.

"You must have to remember something like that…although it_ is_ a good song"

"It is" Hiccup agreed and smiled at the pale teen in front of him.

He managed to convince Jack to get back to working on their assignment for the 30 minutes that were left before dinner, and they actually succeeded in working efficiently without goofing off even more, which was somewhat of a triumph. After all, they really enjoyed talking with each other and joking around, so it was easier to just do that than focus on homework. Right now though, it was necessary for the both of them to concentrate on this.

When it was time for dinner, they quickly packed their stuff and headed towards the Great Hall, shooting sarcastic remarks at each other and nudging each other's shoulders playfully.  
>As they reached the massive entrance to the familiar Hall, they both stopped and looked at each other with genuine smiles tugging their lips upwards.<p>

"Well, see ya tomorrow Hic" Jack said cheerfully and his face lit up in a bright grin, flashing those incredibly white, straight teeth.

"I know…I'll never get rid of you, _snær flekkr*_" he replied teasingly and then quickly added "See you" and instantly turned around, walking towards the Ravenclaw table, before Jack could manage to throw some clever retort back at him.

As he spotted Fishlegs and Rapunzel sitting by their House table, Rapunzel in the middle of a laughter fit, the corner of her eyes crinkling and a hand over her mouth, while Fishlegs was watching her with amusement evident on his features, he felt that familiar tug of affection in his heart. When he approached his two friends, they both looked at him with warm smiles on their faces, as he sat down next to Fishlegs, who seemed to have just poured a lot of food on to his plate.

"Hi guys" he said happily and smiled.

"Hey Hiccup" Fishlegs greeted him, and Rapunzel threw him a warm "Hi"

"How did it go with Booker in Care of Magical Creatures?" Hiccup asked Rapunzel straight away, eager to know what had happened, while reaching out and grabbing a pitcher of water.

"Uhm…" Rapunzel started. Well, that wasn't good, he already knew, as he poured water into his cup and then put the pitcher down on the wooden surface.

"Well…I sort of told him that he needs to do more work for this assignment, but he wasn't too receptive…" She explained and waved a hand a little in a dismissive gesture.

"I'll talk to him then" Hiccup said, even though he knew Rapunzel would not like that. Well…he was not looking forward to it either, but it obviously had to be done now.

"Actually, you don't have to…Jack has kind of already taken care of it" his blonde friend replied hesitantly and observed him with those green eyes of hers.

"What?" Well, now he was genuinely confused. Jack had talked to Booker?

"Well…today at class he pulled Booker aside and had a word with him. He thought I didn't see it but I did. I have no idea what he said to him, but afterwards Booker apologized to me and promised to do his part of the work" Rapunzel explained with a small smile quirking her lips upwards.

"Okay…that's interesting" He managed to say. He wondered what Jack had told Booker, and why he had chosen to interfere. Sure, Hiccup and Rapunzel had told him about the blonde's problems with the lazy Gryffindor, but why had Jack thought that somehow concerned him? Not that Hiccup minded…it was kind of sweet that Jack had chosen to put Booker in his place to make things easier for Rapunzel. It was just a bit strange at the same time.

Hiccup cast a glance at the Gryffindor table, where Jack was obviously entertaining his close friends with some kind of funny story. The pale teen's eyes were wide in amusement and he gestured eagerly with his hands, as he seemed to speak rapidly and excitedly, while his friends smiled and chuckled at him. Hiccup felt a smile grace his lips as he continued to observe Jack for a few moments. He found himself thinking that he couldn't wait to spend more time with the amusing, pale guy and get to know him better. There was definitely something about Jack that was drawing him in somehow.

~~~~ Jack ~~~~

Jack had enjoyed dinner as usual among his friends, and now that things were less tense between him and Astrid, he even shot the blonde Gryffindor a small smile when he suddenly met her eyes from down the table. She gave him a small smile in return, before continuing her conversation with her friend Katie. It sort of seemed like they had reached a kind of understanding now. They both cared about Hiccup. Sure, Astrid had a history with the brunet and knew him way better than Jack did, but still…Even though he hadn't known Hiccup for long he definitely cared about him.

He reached out towards a tray and stabbed a piece of roast chicken with his fork, before bringing it to his plate. He took a small bite of it, while listening with one ear to the conversation currently taking place between Mavis and Flynn about how that brunette girl Flynn was after was seemingly immune to his charms. He smiled in amusement to himself.

As he took a sip of his pumpkin juice, he thought about Hiccup and how they had parted a little while ago. Hiccup had quickly walked away, so he hadn't seen the huge smile that had spread across Jack's face. The Viking had given him an old norse nickname. Granted, he had no idea what it meant, but that didn't matter. It was a sign that Hiccup had opened up to him even more and that was important progress. The nickname could mean "infected pile of dragon dung" for all he cared. It was another step towards a genuine friendship forming, and he suddenly felt that inexplicable surge of warmth spread inside him and make him feel oddly content.

He had really enjoyed their study time together, and he had found out even more about Hiccup. It was sort of like collecting a lot of small puzzle pieces, and Jack was hoping that in time he would get to at least put most of the puzzle together. He was surprised that Hiccup had agreed to tell him about some of his previous romantic experiences. Sure, Jack didn't make it easy on the poor Viking, as he was teasing him incessantly, trying to get him to spill it, but still…he could have refused if he really wanted to. Jack hadn't actually been sure what to expect from Hiccup when it came to romance…a part of him had kind of expected him to be quite inexperienced and another part had told him that Hiccup was full of surprises, so he should never make assumptions. He had definitely been beyond shocked that he had kissed both Astrid and Rapunzel, and what was even weirder was his initial reaction to it – a mix of annoyance, amusement and confusion. Somehow, he had wanted to tease Hiccup about it, wanted to ask him more about it and wanted to avoid talking about it and ignore it completely all at the same time. It was really confusing having contradictory feelings like that and Jack had no idea what it meant, so he decided to push it down…at least for now. It could just be his protective instinct messing with him again.

After dinner, Jack had quickly gone to the owlery to send a letter to Emma and one to Anna and North as well. He had made sure to ask Emma why she had detention and to his own surprise, he had decided to tell her that he had made a new friend. In his letter to Anna and North he quickly updated them on the basics, like how he liked his classes and how his friends were doing. He also made sure to let them know that he missed them.  
>When he was back in the Gryffindor common room, he slumped down onto the comfortable, red couch in front of the fireplace. He leaned against the back of it, enjoying the relaxed feel of his back and shoulders immediately becoming less tense.<p>

Merida and Mavis had not stayed up long to talk, as they were both exhausted and had chosen to go to bed early. Jack and Flynn had decided to stay up. They'd been joined by Liam and Jim, and Jack was more than happy to catch up with them on how everything was going. Apparently Jim and Hayley had worked out their differences and were back together, which made Jack smile as his friend was practically beaming with happiness. As the hours went by, the four boys' conversation had somehow turned to the topic of Care of Magical Creatures, and the Gryffindor common room was almost deserted except for a few other students lounging about.  
>They were joined by Brandon and Alan, two fellow Gryffindors a year younger than them. They didn't know them that well, but they seemed like nice guys in general. After a few minutes of casual smalltalk, Brandon threw an unexpected question at Jack.<p>

"So Jack...What are you doing with Haddock all of the sudden?" the blonde boy asked, tilting his head a little to one side.

"What do you mean?" Jack replied in genuine confusion. He had a bad feeling about this.

"I mean, what's the point of it?" Brandon asked, and Jack immediately felt annoyed by this. Brandon clearly disliked Hiccup for some reason. He cast a quick glance as Flynn who was frowning now.

"Uuh…the point is that Hiccup is a great guy and he's fun to hang out with?" Jack replied and shrugged as if it was obvious…which it was to him. Flynn hummed in agreement next to him.

"What? You're not trying to get him to spill something about dragons?" Brandon asked, seeming genuinely confused, his brow furrowed.

"What? No!" Jack instantly said. "I like hanging out with him, that's all". Why did everyone seemed to think that he had some kind of ulterior motive for spending time with Hiccup? Was that really all that people cared about..getting information about the dragons, and then it didn't matter that Hiccup might be bothered or hurt by it? Jack frowned. He could understand the brunet Ravenclaw's paranoia more and more...

"Seriously?"

"Yeah, why?" Jack replied and furrowed his own brow. He really didn't like the guy's tone of voice and his expression right now. He didn't like Hiccup. That much was obvious. Why though, Jack had no idea.

"He's just annoying, that's all" Brandon said casually and shrugged as if it was no big deal. '_You're annoying_' Jack thought to himself in irritation.

"No, he isn't" Jack said defiantly and crossed his arms defensively.

"Well, I think he is" Brandon shot back, not bothering to hide the slight irritation that was now lacing his voice.

"Why?" Flynn asked calmly. Jack cast a quick glance at Liam and Jim who had both remained silent, but observed the tension between Jack, Flynn and Brandon with obvious discontent. Jack was pretty sure that they were a little annoyed with Brandon right now too.

Brandon seemed to contemplate his answer for a few moments. Jack really wasn't looking forward to this, as he just knew that he was going to be even more irritated.

"He's just such a damn know-it-all…and that sarcasm shit he always pulls…as if he's so funny".

Yup. He was definitely more annoyed now.

"Well, keep shit like that to yourself. I like Hiccup" Jack's snapped and narrowed his eyes a little.

"Me too" Flynn said in agreement.

"Whatever" Brandon said dismissively and shrugged. Then he got up and walked towards the dormitories, apparently finished with this conversation, which Jack didn't mind at all.

"What was his problem?" Flynn said to the others.

Alan shrugged. "I don't know…apparently he just doesn't like Haddock"

"Well, we do" Flynn said and Jack quickly nodded.

"Hey, I don't mind him" Alan said slightly defensively and raised his hands in a surrendering gesture.

Jack and Flynn both instantly smiled at the other Gryffindor.

"Sorry Alan. We're just pretty protective of our friends" Jack explained calmly. Flynn nodded next to him.

Alan gave them a genuine smile in response. "That's all right, I feel the same way…and me and Brandon aren't really friends, he's a bit of a jerk to be honest"

"He sure is…" Jack eagerly agreed. He was hoping he would not be hearing things like that from Brandon again. He liked Hiccup…a lot…and that also meant feeling protective of him. He wouldn't stand for anyone talking badly about the awkward Ravenclaw, who was quickly becoming very dear to him.

**Author's note:** So...that was it for this time :) Yet another person who does not like Hiccup much...the reason is that even though we obviously all know that Hiccup is awesome, I find it very likely that the combination of sarcasm and brains are not well-received by all as it definitely rubs some people (like bully types) the wrong way. Since Hiccup is now popular and gets a lot of attention, people who didn't like his sarcasm and intelligence before, now have an extra reason to dislike him, as they are envious of the attention he is getting. Also: even though Hiccup is an awkward and shy person, I didn't want to make him completely inexperienced in romance. Obviously he is not some kind of player, but he has some although limited experience :) Jack is obviously experiencing faint signs of jealousy and possessiveness, but he is in denial about it and will be for a while :)

Now for the explanations and translations:

Meinfretr: Means "stinkfart" in old norse

Vitskertr: Means "halfwit" in old norse.

Baulufotr: Means "cow foot" in old norse.

Kerling: Means "old hag" in old norse.

C'est l'amour: Means "It is love" in french.

Snær Flekkr: Means "speck of snow / snow speck" in old norse.


	7. Protective instinct

**Author's note:** Hi everyone! :) This is the newest chapter. This time Jack is sleep deprived, Jack and Merida (and Astrid) have a Quidditch match against the Slytherins and Hiccup finds out just how protective he is of Jack after three weeks of friendship :)

A few remarks on the chapter:

- There is a time skip of 2 and half weeks from the last chapter to this chapter.  
>- Hiccup and Fishlegs have fighting skills in my story. They obviously aren't some kind of super warriors, but they know how to use weapons and how to handle themselves in a fight. Despite Hiccup being scrawny and clumsy in the first HTTYD movie, he clearly grew out of that in the second one, and that's how he is in this story :) I don't like fics where Hiccup is portrayed as completely weak and cowardly, always needing someone to save him while he cries in a corner. That's not the Hiccup I see in the movies. Despite his lack of physical strength in the first movie he still risks his life several times, the last time to save the people he cares about. That's not the actions of a weak coward. People should give him more credit. Also, he is the kind of person who would want to be able to defend himself, if he should somehow lose his wand or have it taken from him in a fight, not only to protect himself but also those he cares about (Sorry that was a bit of a rant) :D<br>- There will be old norse words in the chapter, but most of them are explained in the text itself, as the characters are talking about what they mean, so only the ones that are not explained will be translated in an authors note at the end of the chapter.

Enjoy!

~~~~ Jack ~~~~

**TIME SKIP: TWO AND A HALF WEEKS**

_It was cold. It was dark. And he was scared._

_The icy water had invaded his skin, excruciating arctic fire burning, seeping into every pore, making his whole being constrict in agony and shock. Nothing existed but darkness and cold._

_An unknown force pushed him, shoved him away from the dark depths. The brightness of the light hurt his eyes, the sharp aches stabbed through his limbs. His lungs gasped for air, instantly hurting._

_The sound of ice cracking, budging, had never been so terrifying. It was the sound of death. The screams of his parents sliced through the silence of the crisp air, as they were flailing around in the freezing, deadly water, desperately trying to escape its fatal grip. Their eyes wide with fear of the approaching darkness._

_His sister's brown eyes brimmed with horror and unshed tears. _

_Ripples in the traitorous water. Remnants of his parents._

_Then nothing but cold. Comforting, drowsy, shielding cold that made all terror disappear, replacing it with the urge to sleep, to lay down his weary head and give up. To end everything. Darkness had never been so comforting._

Jack woke up with a start and instantly felt his covers and his clothes clinging to his sticky skin. He was bathed in cold sweat, leaving him in some strange mix between wanting to kick off the covers and take off his clothes and wanting to crawl further underneath them, looking for that familiar safe warmth. It had been a long time since he had had this nightmare…at least five months now. As the years went by, they became less and less frequent.

He ran a hand through his snow-white hair that was drenched in sweat, and then dried off his hand in his pajama pants to get rid of that clammy feeling on his palm. The nightmares always seemed so real. It was like reliving it all over again and it made that horrible, familiar swirling of guilt and grief appear in his gut, turning it to knots. He turned on his side and reached out his hand to grab the small familiar object laying on his nightstand. As his hand closed around it, he inspected it for a few moments, considering if he should do this or not. Right now he didn't feel like it, but he also knew that he had to keep his promise, if he expected her to keep hers. Which he did. He pressed the button and then put it down on the nightstand once again, before quickly taking the clean, dry T-shirt on the chair next to his bed. He pulled off his sweat-drenched shirt and relished the relief of that unpleasant stickiness being lessened. Then he put on the dry, clean T-shirt and enjoyed the replacement.

He sighed to himself. Whenever he had one of these dreams about his parents' death, he would feel emotionally drained and fragile afterwards and now was no exception. He was already mentally exhausted.

He exited the dormitory and walked down the creaking old staircase towards the common room. As he entered the warm, cosy room, he instantly spotted that head of familiar black hair that belonged to his friend, who was sitting on one of the couches. Mavis' gave him a genuine but slightly worried smile, as he approached her. She was still wearing her sleeping clothes, black and red striped pajama bottoms and an oversize black T-shirt, as she sat on the couch with her legs crossed.

"Hey" she said soothingly, the corners of her lips tugged upwards, and her warm blue eyes watching him intently.

"Hey" he replied and slumped down on the soft, red couch. He pulled up his legs on the piece of furniture and crossed his legs, sitting in the same way Mavis' was.

"It's been a while". Mavis' voice was gentle and soft. She tucked a lock of black hair behind one ear.

"Yeah…like…five months now" Jack said.

"That's something…at least more and more time passes between them"

"Yeah…what about you?"

"Come on, Jack…you know when the last time was. I keep my promises" Mavis replied, shooting him a look that told him that he should know better.

He smiled softly. "Yeah, I know…that was a stupid question"

"So…tell me about it" she inquired, tilting her head a little and resting her elbows on her knees.

As Jack once again told Mavis about one of his nightmares, the black-haired girl listened attentively, her blue eyes conveying the sympathy and concern she was feeling on the inside. She remained quiet as Jack spoke, nodding slowly once in a while or humming to let him know that she understood. Jack had told her about this particular nightmare so many times during the years, that she knew it all too well, but his friend still insisted that he talked about it in depth, whenever he had had that awful dream. He didn't like talking about it, but he had to admit that he always felt a little better afterwards, so he did it every time anyway. He knew that Mavis understood. Her mother had died in a fire when she was six years old, and she still had nightmares about that once in a while. When they had found out that they were both plagued by the past at night, they had made an agreement. They would wake the other every time it happened and meet up in the common room to talk about it and find some peace of mind again. It definitely helped having someone support him, someone who knew what it was like, who also leaned on him in return for support sometimes, and Jack knew that Mavis felt the same way.

As the two Gryffindors finished a long talk on horrors of the past and the uncomfortable feelings that followed, they left their pleasant positions on the couch, and Mavis pulled him into a tight hug, wrapping her pale arms around him and resting her head of black hair on his shoulder. Jack leaned his face on the side of Mavis' head and smelled the familiar scent of her coconut shampoo. He_ did_ find some comfort in the familiar warmth of his friend, but unfortunately her affection didn't quell the grief and guilt within him. Once again though, like so many times before, he found himself appreciating Mavis' friendship and her kind nature immensely. She was truly a great, supportive and loyal friend.

"You know I love you, right?" he heard her gentle voice whisper, as they remained close to each other, pale arms wrapped around the other's back.

"I know…I love me too" he replied, not having lost his sense of humor despite the solemn mood, and Mavis hit him on the arm in response, though still hugging him tightly.

"Sorry. I love you too, Mav. You know I do" he said fondly and smiled softly to himself, as he squeezed her tighter for a few seconds before letting go.

As they had gone back to their separate dormitories and Jack was once again lying in his bed, he was disappointed that he didn't have any more Dreamless Sleep lying around. He made a mental note to get some extra vials as soon as possible. It was a good thing to have in his nightstand after a nightmare.

Jack tossed and turned in his bed for a while, his mind occupied with thoughts of his parents, of Emma, and of North and Anna, despite feeling better after having spoken to Mavis. When he finally managed to fall into a deep slumber, he had pleasant dreams of deep green pine forests.

~~~~ Hiccup ~~~~

Breakfast was not a very pleasant experience this particular morning. It had started out great, as he had actually gotten more sleep than usual between his nightly flight and his morning flight with Toothless and also because he was going to have Building, Managing and Repairing Magical Objects today, where he would be able to finish working on the bow for Merida. He was really excited about it and was a bit nervous about what she would think of it. He had gotten to know her a bit better during the past couple of weeks, as he and his friends had hung out with Jack and his friends more, often spending time together during- and after classes. He found that Merida reminded him a lot of Astrid…strong, confident, fiercely loyal and protective of those she cared about. All good qualities in a friend. He was hoping that the bow would live up to her expectations. Hiccup was also feeling quite excited about the Quidditch match later today, where Jack, Merida, Astrid and the rest of the Gryffindor Quidditch team had to go up against the Slytherins.

As breakfast continued in the Great Hall though, his mood had changed. He was used to Jack and his friends being here later than him, Fishlegs and Rapunzel. Jack would always wave at him and grin brightly, before the teens took their seats among the other Gryffindors, so it confused him when he spotted Mavis, Merida and Flynn entering the hall and making their way towards their table without the white-haired prankster anywhere in sight.

Hiccup currently found himself pushing eggs and toast around on his plate with his fork without eating much, having sort of lost his appetite. He glared almost resentfully at his food, as if it was somehow to blame for his current predicament and he tuned out the loud sounds of clinking cutlery, plates scraping across table surfaces, and excited chatter. He was worried about Jack. The pale teen being absent from breakfast was very unusual in itself, as Jack never missed breakfast…he loved those damn pancakes too much despite his obvious disdain for getting up in the morning. Hiccup found himself reflecting on how strange it was that he had gotten so used to him and Jack exchanging smiles and waves at every meal that it now just seemed weird that Jack suddenly wasn't here. Hiccup lifted his mug and took a sip of his juice, enjoying the fresh, tangy taste of fruit despite his loss of appetite, while listening with one ear to Fishlegs' and Rapunzel's discussion on the items in the package the blonde girl had received this morning from her parents. Apparently there was a very interesting book on magical creatures among the items that Fishlegs was eager to borrow once Rapunzel had read it. Hiccup remained silent through most of the meal, only throwing in an occasional comment or joke when he felt like it. Of course both Fishlegs and Rapunzel had noticed that something was off with him. At first they had let him be, carrying on their conversation to give him some space, which he was grateful for, but by the end of the meal, Fishlegs' curiosity and concern got the best of him. As Hiccup took a small bite of his toast, despite not feeling like it at all, his blonde Viking friend trained his observant blue eyes on him.

"Hiccup, what's wrong?" Fishlegs asked in genuine concern, and Rapunzel focused her green eyes on him too, obviously also curious as to why he was so quiet this morning.

"I'm just a little worried" he replied truthfully, putting his toast back on his plate, not wanting to take another bite of it.

"Why?" Rapunzel interjected, tilting her head of blonde hair slightly in a questioning manner.

"Well…Jack isn't here…and he's always at breakfast" Hiccup explained uncertainly, very aware that it might sound strange that his mood was so affected by this.

Fishlegs and Rapunzel both turned their heads and shot a quick glance at the Gryffindor table, where Jack's three best friends were eating and engaging in friendly conversation. They seemed less cheerful this morning than usual, but Hiccup had no idea if it was because something had happened to Jack, or if it was just because the snow-haired teen was so good at spreading joy all around him that his absence would always cause a little drop in the mood.

As Fishlegs and Rapunzel once again turned their attention to him, the bubbly blonde's lips twitched in a small but warm smile.

"I'm sure he's fine, Hiccup" she said reassuringly and reached out her arm across the table to give his hand a quick, friendly squeeze.

"Yeah, it's probably nothing" Fishlegs added and shrugged.

"Yeah, I'm sure you're right. I just worry too much…you know…thinking that something might have happened" Hiccup replied quietly, knowing that his friends already knew this.

"We know" Fishlegs said affectionately with a smile, confirming Hiccup's thoughts and Rapunzel nodded next to the heavy Viking boy.

"You're going to see him in class in a little while" Rapunzel told him, before taking a sip of her tea and her bright green eyes conveyed that optimism of hers that always seemed to make him feel better. Of course she was right…and then he could see Jack for himself and confirm that nothing was wrong…that he was just being too paranoid and serious as usual, whenever something happened that was out of the ordinary.

"Yeah…" Hiccup said and nodded in response. "You're right, I should just relax"

"You _definitely _should" Fishlegs replied with mirth in his blue eyes.

"Hey, I can't help it that I'm such a good friend that I worry about all of you" Hiccup shot back with a tiny smile tugging at the corners of his lips.

"No, but you should take it easy sometimes, Hiccup. When something unusual happens, it doesn't have to be because someone's been kidnapped or they've just discovered they have six months to live" Rapunzel retorted with a fond smile tugging her lips upwards. Fishlegs chuckled next to her.

"I _know_ that" Hiccup replied insistently, but couldn't help but smile a little too. "But point taken".

His friends' reassuring words had eased Hiccup's mind a little and he found himself enjoying the rest of breakfast more than before he had shared his thoughts with them. They were usually always able to make him feel better when he was in a bad mood. The three Ravenclaw friends quickly became engulfed in discussion and friendly banter and when Rapunzel made Hiccup spit out a little fruit juice because of a witty comment that caused him a laughter fit, he found himself feeling a lot more relaxed and less worried.

~~~~ Hiccup ~~~~

As Hiccup had taken his seat by one of the tables in the classroom, he placed his black satchel on the wooden surface and rummaged around in it, before pulling out his textbook, some parchment and a quill. He flipped the book open to the pages needed for today's lesson and quickly scanned the words on the pages with his green eyes to refresh what he had already read yesterday. He liked being prepared and when your mind was a little tired in the morning, it certainly didn't hurt to revisit your homework before class. It also didn't hurt to keep his mind occupied until Jack got here.

As the minutes ticked by, students slowly began filling the classroom, and Hiccup waved and smiled at Astrid, who flashed him a bright smile in response as she appeared alongside Megan and Katie, before taking her seat by a table a few rows back. He turned his attention back to the large black textbook, but he was only able to read for a few minutes more, before his focus was pulled towards someone who sat down next to him.

He turned his head instantly and met Jack's familiar blue eyes, while he spotted Merida and Flynn sitting down next to Jack in his peripheral vision. The pale Gryffindor gave him a small, slightly strained smile and said "Mornin' Hic" as usual, but Hiccup instantly noticed the difference from all the other mornings. Jack's eyes were dull and tired, a huge contrast to the usual spark and mirth they held, his snow-white hair was disheveled as if he had just woken up (which he probably had), and he had dark circles under his eyes, marring his usually smooth, flawless skin and they stood out very clearly against his paleness. Hiccup didn't need to ask him what was wrong. He recognized the signs of nightmares right away.

"Good morning Jack" he replied warmly and gave the Gryffindor a genuine smile, despite his inner worry.

Jack nodded briefly before breaking eye contact. He rubbed his eyes with the sleeves of his robe and then let out a long yawn, before rubbing his entire face quickly with his palms in a gesture that seemed both frustrated and impatient. Then Jack let his hands drop to his sides and sighed deeply, as he glared at the table in front of him. Hiccup frowned. Based on Jack's behavior, he was guessing that his nightmares were recurring ones…ones that popped up once in a while, reminding the pale Gryffindor of something horrible that Jack couldn't do squat about…that would explain the current aggravation. Hiccup had recurring nightmares himself, so he could definitely relate. This really wasn't what Jack needed today of all days…he had a Quidditch match later.

Hiccup glanced at Merida and Flynn, who were having a discussion with each other and Jim, but also shooting quick looks at their friend, obviously keeping an eye on him.

"Hey…" Hiccup said soothingly, lowering his voice to a whisper and watching Jack in concern. "Are you okay?"

Jack turned his head and met his eyes once again, and a tiny flicker of a smile quirked the pale teen's lips upwards for a brief moment.

"Yeah…I'll be okay" Jack replied softly, his voice conveying just how tired he was.

Hiccup nodded. "If you want to talk about it some time, I'm here…I know what it's like to have nightmares…even recurring ones" he told his pale friend gently, wanting him to know that he would be there for him, if he needed it.

Surprise flashed in Jack's eyes as they widened for a few seconds, instantly confirming Hiccup's guess. Jack watched him intently for a few moments in silence, probably trying to figure out how Hiccup knew what had kept him up.

"Thanks, Hic…" Jack then replied quietly but genuinely. "How did you know?" he decided to ask and tilted his head of snow-white hair a little.

"I can just tell…you know…by the way you look, the way you're acting…" Hiccup explained softly, not sure if that sounded strange.

Jack shook his head slowly to himself, while a small smile graced his lips. He was clearly a little amused by Hiccup's answer and that pleased him. He wanted to cheer Jack up after all.

"You're too observant for your own good, Hic"

Hiccup smiled at Jack's comment. "Well, one of us has to be" he replied teasingly.

Jack scoffed. "I'm observant"

"Sure you are Snow-White" Hiccup said condescendingly, trying to push Jack's buttons to distract him from his current problems.

"Hey, don't be like that just because you're envious of my youth and beauty" Jack shot back and a little amusement was now evident in his tired blue eyes.

"Right…Nothing gets past you, Eagle Eye" Hiccup deadpanned.

As professor Bunnymund entered the classroom and made his way towards the desk, Jack, Hiccup and the rest of the students quickly became quiet, ceasing all talking.

The muscular Australian professor with the characteristic dark blue hair watched the students for a few moments in silence, before sitting down on top of his desk instead of the chair behind it.

"Today we're going to focus on the Levicorpus spell. I'll be giving a lecture on the history and the practical uses for this particular spell and then you'll be pairing up and practicing it on each other. And as usual….no other spells besides this one or it's three weeks detention" the professor explained sternly with his usual air of authority.

As professor Bunnymund began his lecture on the Levicorpus spell, Hiccup expertly used his skills of multitasking, as he eagerly scribbled down notes on his parchment, took in all the information their professor told them and kept an eye on Jack all at the same time. He was actually a little proud of his abilities in this area. It had often proven very useful to him to be able to do several things at once.

Jack didn't seem to be paying much attention to the lecture, which was to be expected. The pale Gryffindor regularly rubbed his eyes, covered his mouth with a hand and yawned and his eyelids drooped as if he was just about to fall asleep. Hiccup really wished that he could help Jack, as his white-haired friend obviously struggled to keep up in class in his sleep deprived state.

When their Australian professor finished his lecture, he told them to pair up with someone and begin practicing the spell on each other. As they had gotten used to doing over the past weeks, Hiccup and Jack quickly paired up together.

As they got to their feet, the noise of students suddenly talking and chairs scraping across the stone floor echoing all around them, Hiccup shot Jack a worried look.

"Jack, are you sure you're up for this?" he asked his pale friend. Jack shouldn't strain himself right now.

"Yeah yeah, it's fine Hic" Jack replied dismissively and gave him a small but genuine smile to reassure him.

The two teens took their places in one of the corners of the large classroom, not too far away from Merida and Flynn, who were already eying each other in obvious challenge, competing as always to see who could get the upper hand.

"Okay, well…you want to start?" Hiccup asked Jack uncertainly, as he pulled out his own wand from a pocket in his robes. Jack quickly did the same. He still wasn't sure if Jack should be practicing magic right now…the pale teen was not only exhausted but also distracted and that could sometimes cause unexpected results when it came to magic…after all, the old ancient power could be temperamental.

"Yeah, sure" Jack replied without much emotion and raised his wand towards Hiccup.

"Levicorpus" the pale teen spoke confidently despite his exhaustion and Hiccup instantly felt himself being lifted up by his feet and suddenly he was hanging upside down in the air, his slightly long brown hair falling into his face, obscuring his vision.

He could hear Jack chuckle and despite the Gryffindor's mirth being at his expense, he still found it comforting.

"That's a good look on you, Hic"

"Really? I've never actually considered adopting the whole upside down look…being a little impractical as it is, you know" Hiccup deadpanned.

"Well, you should think about it. This way no girls can see your face. That should be a definite plus for you" Jack said teasingly and Hiccup was kind of relieved that he was apparently already in a better mood.

"Right now I can't really see your face either, so I guess there_ are _certain advantages to this"

Jack scoffed. "Like you wouldn't miss my face like crazy"

"Hmm…I guess you're right. After all, it's nice to be reminded that someone's worse looking than yourself" Hiccup shot back, trying to rile Jack up.

"What?!" Jack said indignantly, but then couldn't suppress a chuckle.

"Hey Frost, looks like you've caught a Viking?" Merida interjected, watching Jack and Hiccup in amusement.

"Yeah, I'm thinking about keeping him actually. Maybe he can be trained?"

"I'm definitely_ not_ trainable, Snowcone" Hiccup insisted, now beginning to feel a little nauseous from hanging upside down for a while. The blood was rushing to his head, making dizziness tug at the corners of his mind.

"Did you hear something, Mer?" Jack asked his red-haired friend innocently, as if Hiccup wasn't right there.

"No, I don't think so, Frosty…it was probably just the wind" Merida said, sounding just as innocent.

"Heeey!" Hiccup exclaimed in protest, causing Jack and Merida to laugh heartily. Apparently Flynn was joining in now too. Hiccup recognized his laughter by now, even though he couldn't see the brunet teen.

Suddenly Hiccup was flung through the air and into one of the stone walls of the classroom, before he could even comprehend what was happening. He felt an instant jolt of pain zap violently through his back, as he was slammed against the hard surface, before slumping down on the floor. His body ached from the impact and he couldn't contain a pained groan, but he quickly regained his composure and rolled onto his side, so he wouldn't be laying face down, not able to see anything.

"Hiccup, are you okay?" he heard Astrid's familiar voice say in concern, and he lifted his head to meet her sky blue eyes, that seemed to be looking him over for injuries.

"Yeah…" he said hesitantly, still very confused about what had just happened. His Viking friend leaned over and closed her hand around his arm, before beginning to pull him up. He appreciated that, since he was a bit dizzy now.

When he was on his feet again, although a little unsure because of the dizziness, he noticed Jack, Merida and Flynn standing in front of him, all looking very shocked and concerned.

"Hic, I'm so sorry!" Jack blurted out, his blue eyes wide in mortification. Ah, okay…Jack had accidentally done something to send him flying through the air. That made sense, considering the pale teen's current state.

"It's okay Jack…" Hiccup replied calmly, now beginning to feel a headache approaching. He felt Astrid's hand squeeze his shoulder a little in a comforting gesture and let her hand rest there. "But what happened?" he asked, even though he already knew the basics.

"I'm not sure" Jack replied honestly. "We were just kidding around and apparently I did something with my wand that caused this" the pale teen finished quietly, breaking eye contact. Jack was obviously feeling guilty right now.

Hiccup felt Astrid's grip on his shoulder tighten a little and he didn't have to ask her to know what she was thinking. She was clearly conflicted, as she was annoyed with Jack for hurting him, but at the same time she was a logical person despite her overprotectiveness…she knew it had been an accident, so she couldn't actually be angry with Jack. Hiccup briefly met her eyes and a small smile graced his lips to reassure her that he was fine. She returned it warmly and her grip loosened once again.

"Don't worry about it" he told Jack and trained his eyes on his white-haired friend. Hiccup rubbed his forehead briefly with one hand. His head was now throbbing, an incessant ache pulsing through every vessel of his brain, and his back was feeling very sore. He decided to push it down though. He didn't want to make Jack feel even worse.

"Are you sure you're okay?" Astrid asked him, not sounding completely convinced, as she removed her hand from his shoulder. "Maybe you should go to the hospital wing to get checked out, just in case"

"I'm fine, Astrid." Hiccup replied and waved a hand dismissively. He did_ not _want to go to the hospital wing for something as minor as this.

"Hic, maybe you should-" Jack began uncertainly.

"Jack, no. I'm fine, okay? Don't worry" he replied firmly.

"Okay…" Jack seemed very hesitant and his blue eyes were still watching him intently with worry evident in them. Merida and Flynn did the same thing, although trying to be more discreet about it.

"Anyway…let's just get back to practicing" Hiccup said, not wanting to spend more time dealing with this.

"Are you sure?" Jack asked him.

"Yes, I'm very sure"

As they returned to where they had been standing before all of this happened, Hiccup and Jack took turns lifting each other up using the Levicorpus spell. Luckily the rest of the class went by without any more accidents, which Hiccup was grateful for. His headache slowly subsided and now there was only a faint, dull ache left, reminding him of what had happened. He and Jack shot sarcastic comments at each other as usual, but with a little less eagerness, as Jack was still exhausted and now also feeling guilty and Hiccup was dealing with the aches in his head and his back.

When professor Bunnymund dismissed the class, they all quickly packed their stuff into their bags and made their way out of the classroom. Jack sighed next to him, as he and the others walked comfortably next to each other on their way to their next classes. Hiccup had Building, Managing and Repairing Magical Objects next which he was really looking forward to, despite his current state after being slammed into a wall. Jack and Flynn had Care of Magical Creatures while Merida apparently had Astronomy next. This meant that the red-head quickly separated from the rest of them, throwing them a warm "see you guys later" before walking towards the Astronomy Tower. Hiccup, Jack and Flynn however were heading in the same direction for a little while.

Jack sighed deeply as he ran a hand through his snow-white hair and continued to walk next to Hiccup. He turned his eyes towards the pale teen, and he watched as Flynn gave Jack's shoulder a comforting squeeze and then a few pats on the back.

"You can get a copy of my notes by the way" Hiccup told his white-haired friend, trying to cheer him up a little. He had noticed that Jack hadn't written anything in class, so he would probably need some notes for later.

"Well thanks Hic, but in case you didn't know, I can't read runes"

"I _know_ that, Jack…which is why I wrote them in plain letters this time" he replied and nudged Jack's shoulder playfully. As soon as he noticed in class that Jack wasn't able to pay attention, he decided to help him out, abandoning writing in runes as usual.

"Thanks, Hic" Jack replied genuinely and a small smile quirked his lips upwards.

"No problem, Frostbite"

"Frostbite, huh?" Jack asked with an eyebrow raised in amusement. Hiccup heard Flynn chuckle and he shot the brunet a grin, which was immediately returned.

"Yeah, you know…because you're a bit of pain to be around" Hiccup explained, gesturing with his hands as if it was obvious.

"Is that so?" the pale Gryffindor asked curiously, a faint smile gracing his lips.

"Oh yes…"

"You know…you could have fooled me, Hic. You seem quite fond of me actually"

"Yeah, well…I needed to gain your trust in order to lure you into a trap, you know" Hiccup replied and smirked evilly, rubbing his hands together slowly in a menacing gesture.

"So you're actually just trying to rob the world of all of this?" Jack asked and gestured to himself.

"Yes. I was paid handsomely by one of your enemies to get rid of you"

"…It was Merida, wasn't it?"

"Oh yes. She's finally had enough of your smug attitude" Hiccup retorted and smirked.

"I knew I shouldn't have trusted that crumb spitting Scot" Jack said and threw his hands up in mock frustration, causing Flynn to chuckle and Hiccup to feel a grin spread across his face.

As they continued on their way through the old passageways of the castle, several students threw greetings at the three of them, which surprised Hiccup. Sure, people were approaching him a lot these days, but he wasn't used to being greeted this much while he was just on his way to classes. Maybe it had something to do with the fact that he was with Jack and Flynn now, and that the other students must have noticed how much time he was spending with them?

As Jack and Flynn needed to head outside for Care of Magical Creatures they split up by one of the exits to a courtyard. They agreed to meet up after classes by the lake and spend some time together before the Quidditch match later today. Because of the match they only had a few classes today, but Jack explained that he and Merida definitely still needed to relax a little, before having to deal with the Slytherins on the Quidditch pitch.

As Hiccup made his way towards Building, Managing and Repairing Magical Objects, he was lost in his own thoughts. He adjusted his satchel on his shoulder to let it hang more comfortably, while thinking that his back was still quite sore from the impact with the stone wall. Jack really shouldn't have participated in the class, but on the other hand…no one could have known what would happen and it wasn't like Hiccup was seriously injured or anything. He was pretty sure that he had some ugly bruises though.

He was pulled out of his thoughts, as he overheard some giggling girls walking in front of him, two Gryffindors and two Hufflepuffs from the looks of their uniforms. They were a few years younger than him, so he didn't really know any of them. Usually, he didn't really focus very much on other students' conversations in the hallways, but these girls' exchange of words caught his attention.

"- so cute that it's almost unbearable" a light girly voice pouted.

"Yeah…and that snow-white hair…it's beautiful" another girl's voice sighed in adoration.

Hiccup chuckled discreetly. He obviously knew that Jack had fangirls, but it was still amusing listening to giggling schoolgirls talking about his friend, as if he was the only person that existed in the world.

"One time he actually talked to me…" one of the Hufflepuff girls told the others. "And I felt butterflies in my stomach" she finished.

Hiccup shook his head slowly to himself in amusement, as he continued to walk behind the group of girls, their long hair flowing down their backs as they moved forwards. Gods, he hoped he would never overhear a conversation like that about himself. He wasn't at all sure he could handle that amount of awkwardness and embarrassment all at once.

"I think if he ever talked to me, my ovaries would explode" a red-haired Hufflepuff girl then said causing the other girls to giggle loudly.

Hiccup burst into an uncontrollable coughing fit right then and there and stopped in his tracks. The four girls instantly froze and looked over their shoulders and the red-head who had made that particular comment was clearly in shock, her eyes wide in silent mortification. They all turned towards Hiccup, as they continued to stare at him, the red-head in particular. She probably knew that Jack and Hiccup hung out now…since everyone seemed to have noticed that…and was worried that she would end up being completely embarrassed and humiliated in front of her crush, he quickly mused, while he got his coughing under control. Well…this was awkward.

His thoughts were confirmed a few seconds later, as the red-head's cheeks flushed in a deep pink color. "Oh god…" she said regretfully. "Please don't tell him" she practically begged him and he immediately felt sorry for her. She was obviously very uncomfortable, and he didn't like making people feel anxious like that.

A small, genuine smile tugged at the corners of his lips. "Don't worry about it. I won't tell him" he told the girl reassuringly, and she instantly visibly relaxed.

"Thank you Hiccup" she said honestly, using his first name despite them being strangers and giving him a warm smile in return. He still had a little trouble getting used to everyone knowing his name now.

"No problem" he replied in what he hoped was a friendly and casual tone, before continuing towards his destination, brushing past the group of girls who still hadn't moved. Despite his amusement, he could definitely understand how the red-head felt. He would be beyond embarrassed if he had talked about a crush, and one of their friends had overheard it, so he wanted to ease the girl's troubles. He wasn't going to tell Jack about it, despite being sure that the pale teen would never do anything to humiliate someone who liked him. Jack was a genuinely nice guy, and through these last couple of weeks, he had observed how kind Jack was to everyone around him. While Hiccup found it uncomfortable to deal with people who had a crush on him, Jack found it amusing and he took great pleasure in smiling, waving and winking at girls who stared at him, handed him notes or smiled shyly at him. In that area they were definitely very different people.

When Hiccup had walked through several deserted corridors to get to the workshop, where Building, Managing and Repairing Magical Objects was taught, he entered the large room, and the familiar scents of sawdust, wood and paint filled his nostrils. He found the smells soothing, as he linked them to the joy of building and mending things, and it wasn't unusual that he got a few flashbacks to Gobber's workshop that he actually missed a lot when he was away from home.

The Hogwarts workshop was a large oval room with a high dome ceiling. It had several large square workstations scattered throughout the room in no particular order or pattern, where a vast array of tools were placed. Along the grey stone walls of the room, shelves and large dark cupboards were placed, filled with different containers and stacks of various materials like wood, leather, fabrics and paint. In the back of the room a lot of more unusual tools hung on the wall, only needed for special projects.

There were only two other students present when Hiccup walked through the doors. Liana Hayes was sitting at a workstation with her nose in a book, eagerly scanning the pages with her observant blue eyes. She was a skinny girl with long ash brown hair that flowed down her back in gentle waves and with a slight sprinkle of freckles on her nose and cheeks. The Hufflepuff had a quiet, shy demeanor and usually kept to herself in classes, and for that reason Hiccup had always felt a certain sympathy towards her. In some ways she reminded him of himself. They had spoken a few times, but it was not a regular occurrence. Stephen Lock was busy at another workstation scribbling down notes eagerly on some parchment and flicking through the pages of his textbook. Hiccup didn't really have anything to do with him, and only knew that the blonde Slytherin boy was quite talented at building things.

The large classroom also had a blackboard and a big mahogany desk for their professor. Despite being a very "hands on" class, where students spent most of their time working on the different objects, they also had lectures once in a while, where they learned different approaches to recognizing, building and repairing these objects of magic.

He quickly covered the distance to the workstation he preferred to work by, a table placed in the back of the class with as much distance as possible to the other students. Hiccup liked his privacy, when he worked on a project, as his concentration would be easily be broken if he found people observing him or somehow invading his personal bubble. He put his black satchel on the workstation and sat down on one of the stools around it. He pulled out his sketchbook from the black bag and began working on that sketch of Rapunzel and Fishlegs studying in one of the courtyards that he had sort of neglected working on lately. As he worked on the shadowing of Fishlegs' face, several other students entered the classroom and took their places at the workstations. Another thing Hiccup really liked about this class was the fact that they were only eight students in it. It was kind of nice to be so few, it gave the professor plenty of time to focus on every student and it also made the class a quiet, concentrated one.

After a few minutes that Hiccup spent sketching, Professor Cooke entered the classroom and took a seat by his desk. He was a kind, patient man in his 40's with dark brown, slightly curly hair and wise blue eyes that seemed to convey knowledge beyond his years. Hiccup liked the professor. He was never too busy to help a student out with something and he was a good teacher as well, able to explain even abstract concepts in ways everyone could understand.

Today's class was a lecture without any practical application, which was a shame in Hiccup's opinion, but on the other hand…theoretical sessions were necessary too. He regularly raised his hand and participated as professor Cooke relayed examples of several magical items, enchanted with different properties, and asked the students to identify the risks and traps of repairing these particular objects. After all…magic could be very temperamental, so repairing a magical item was not without risk, especially if you weren't sure what you were dealing with.

After class, Hiccup had asked professor Cooke if he could stay a while in the workshop and work on a project, and the professor had agreed without any hesitation. After all, it wasn't the first time Hiccup did that and professor Cooke seemed to approve of his eagerness and love of building things.

All students in this class had their own locked cupboard, where they could keep their projects between classes, and Hiccup headed towards his. He turned the key in the lock and gentle opened the cupboard, taking in the objects lying inside. He reached out his hand and closed it around the thing he was looking for and pulled out, closing the door to the cupboard with his other hand. He let his palm glide across the bow, enjoying the smooth feel of the reddish brown wood. He was almost done with Merida's bow and he was more than happy with how it had turned out. The bow was constructed in red oak wood with tips of darker cherry wood and it had engravings of Celtic symbol patterns in a slightly lighter nuance along the limbs. Merida hadn't actually told him about any specific design that she wanted, just that she would like a recurve bow, but he had decided to make it a bit more personalized. He knew that the red-haired Gryffindor was very proud of her ancient Scottish heritage, so he'd decided to do some research on ancient Celtic symbols and had designed a pattern out of some of the more well-known Celtic knot symbols. It had taken a long time to carefully carve them into the bow, but he was really pleased with the result. He had also fashioned some arrows out of the same red oak wood. Now all he needed was to fit the leather grip on the bow, so it would be nice and comfortable to hold with a tight grip, increasing the accuracy.

As he brought the bow to his workstation, he found himself hoping that Merida would like it. It was always kind of exciting to present a gift for someone that you'd made yourself. It didn't take long for him to fetch some dark fresh leather, measure and cut out an appropriate strip of it, cut the holes in it and lacing them together, forming a cuff. Then he misted the leather cuff with a little water, glued the grip area of the bow and pulled the cuff over it. Now it just needed to dry, but it could do that anywhere, so he decided to bring it with him. He found a large piece of cloth and covered the bow in it, so other students wouldn't know that he was carrying a weapon around. Then he quickly put the materials he'd used back to their original place, packed up his supplies in his satchel and slung it over one shoulder and gripped the bow in one hand. As he was about to exit the large workshop, satisfied with his finished work on Merida's bow, he spotted two items out of the corner of his eye. He stopped in his tracks and trained his green eyes on the objects. They were almost hidden under a piece of cloth, but he'd spotted them nonetheless. He'd seen them lying there several times, but he hadn't given it enough attention to actually see what it was before now. A smirk spread across his lips, as he had an idea. When he left the classroom, he clutched the two objects in his other hand and grinned to himself.

~~~~ Jack ~~~~

Jack and his friends were sitting by the lake and just taking time to enjoy each other's company. He and Merida really needed to unwind a little before their Quidditch game against the Slytherins, and they expected their Ravenclaw friends to arrive as well any minute now. Jack enjoyed the gentle, crisp autumn breeze as it ruffled his snow-white hair a little and left cooling touches on his pale skin.

Mavis was showing some of her newest sketches to Merida, who was observing the sketchbook with genuine interest, while chewing bubblegum. Jack and Flynn were relaxing, leaning against a massive oak tree and discussing Emma's latest letter, in which she had told Jack that she had once again gotten detention at school. This time though, it was because she had stuck up for someone who was being bullied and had apparently kicked the bully hard on the shin. As Jack relayed the events to Flynn, he couldn't keep the pride out of his voice. Sure, it wasn't a good thing that Emma got detention, but she had defended someone who needed it and that made him very proud of his sister.

Suddenly the four Gryffindors' attention was drawn towards the sound of feet running through the grass. They snapped their heads towards the sound, and two familiar Vikings boys came running past them at full speed all in a blur, their laughter echoing through the air. Jack saw the backs of Hiccup and Fishlegs, as the large blonde boy was chasing the brunet towards the lake.

The four Gryffindors stared in confusion after the two Vikings, and they were all temporarily baffled. Rapunzel appeared shortly after by Jack and his three friends with Pascal on her shoulder, keeping an eye on the two boys running and laughing with a fond smile on her face.

"What's going on?" Jack turned his head towards her and asked, truly confused as to what was happening.

Rapunzel sighed and then a warm smile graced her lips. "They're fighting with wooden swords" she said, her voice laced with amusement. "They've been chasing each other around the grounds for 20 minutes now".

Jack immediately laughed at that, while his three friends chuckled. He certainly wasn't expecting _that_. As he turned his attention to Hiccup and Fishlegs again, the two Ravenclaws were running back towards them, the larger blonde boy still chasing Hiccup, and Jack could now actually see them holding the wooden swords in their hands.

"Where did they get those?" Merida asked curiously, sounding like she wanted to join them. She probably did, Jack thought with amusement. Anything that entailed some kind of weapon, even a wooden one, was attractive to Merida.

"Hiccup stole them from the workshop. He said he and Fishlegs hadn't had a good swordfight in a while and he wanted to change that" Rapunzel explained with her brow furrowed in a disapproving gesture, but unable to keep the hint of amusement out of her voice. She petted Pascal for a brief moment.

"What? He stole them?" Jack asked in disbelief, as he stared at Hiccup and Fishlegs who were still running around, the larger boy eager to catch up with the faster brunet. Hiccup had just taken them? That wasn't like the Ravenclaw. It sounded like something he himself would do. Maybe he was having a mischievous influence on Hiccup, he thought with a smile.

"Well, he said that technically he "borrowed" them…But he can actually be a real troublemaker when he wants to, Jack" Rapunzel replied with a certain fondness and crossed her arms. Jack briefly wondered what else the brunet Ravenclaw had done over the years.

Jack and the other teens continued to watch the two Viking boys chase each other back and forth across the ground by the shimmering lake. They were moving without difficulty, jumping over logs, dodging larger rocks and in general making good use of the terrain around them. It was truly heartwarming to see the playful, childish smile on Hiccup's face and hear his laughter echo through the air, as he continued to run away from Fishlegs, who was beginning to get a bit out of breath, his steps seeming more and more heavy and strained. The brunet was definitely faster and in better shape than his blonde Viking friend.

"Hiccup!" Fishlegs yelled suddenly as he had stopped running and Hiccup froze in his tracks, a fair distance ahead of Fishlegs, and turned around slowly, facing the other boy with a smirk on his face.

"No more running. I challenge you!" the large blonde Viking shouted. "_Hon varr Fishlegs, gamla vis hruga uskit'r_!" he added, in a mock aggressive tone, his brow furrowed and the wooden sword held out in Hiccup's direction. Jack really wished that he understood old norse right now. Well, to be honest, he'd wished that several times since he started hanging out with Hiccup and his friends.

Hiccup's face split into a huge grin, before he managed to put it in serious folds, and the beaming Ravenclaw left Jack smiling warmly. The brunet held out his own wooden sword, pointed straight towards Fishlegs. Then he narrowed his green eyes and shouted in an authoritative, threatening voice that was deeply out of character for him:

_"Kringlaugd wierd, ein spadi for qvoki ne skeifr drpr munni ne svinh_ǫ_fdi!"_

It sounded strange to hear Hiccup speak so much old norse, but not in a bad way. When the Viking used old norse, it was usually just a word or two at once. It was impressive how easily the ancient, complicated language flowed from the Ravenclaw's lips, as if it didn't require any effort at all.

Fishlegs couldn't contain the huge grin on his face and the laughter that immediately escaped him. His sides were practically splitting, and Jack wondered what Hiccup had said that was so funny. He'd have to ask, when they were done fighting. He didn't want to interrupt their playfulness right now, since they were clearly enjoying themselves, and it _was _pretty amusing to watch. Hiccup was showing a completely new side of himself, and Jack found that very intriguing. Sure, Hiccup was playful during their banter and when they nudged each other's shoulders once in a while and such, but Jack hadn't seen this child-like side of him before, and he was really enjoying it.

"Seriously, how do you come up with that shit?" Fishlegs asked Hiccup in a rare use of swears, breathless from laughter. Jack couldn't keep the bright grin off his face. Hiccup's and Fishlegs' laughter and smiles were infectious. He glanced at the teens surrounding him, who were also observing the two playful Ravenclaws with amused smiles and attentive eyes.

"I'm just that awesome. Now…come on, you _bacraut_!" Hiccup shouted in a challenge, and Fishlegs instantly charged towards the brunet Ravenclaw and lunged an attack on him. Hiccup managed to block with his own sword and a loud noise of wood clashing against wood filled the air. The two Viking boys actually began fighting each other now, eagerly stepping around their surroundings to dodge each other's attacks and thrusting their weapons forward in forceful strikes, trying to take down their opponent.

"Do you understand any of those words?" Flynn asked Rapunzel in curiosity as the five teens continued to watch the two Vikings fight each other. Jack briefly turned his attention towards Rapunzel to hear what she had to say.

"I only know_ some_ words…the ones they use the most. _Bacraut_ is an asshole" she explained and said the swearword as if she was a tad uncomfortable with it. Which she probably was. He chuckled at the explanation of the word and filed the information away in his brain for later use. He definitely had to use it against Hiccup at some point.

He trained his eyes on the Viking boys once again, whose wooden swords smashed together in loud "thlacks" echoing all around them. Their fighting almost resembled a dance, as they sidestepped and dodged each other's attacks and lunged at each other with lightning speed, making good use of their surroundings as they moved around swiftly and effortlessly on the wet grass. It quickly became clear to Jack, that even though this was just a playful fight, both Hiccup and Fishlegs were skilled fighters. You could easily tell by their intricate maneuvers and the ease in which their movements flowed that they knew what they were doing as a result of thorough experience. Jack briefly wondered if any of them had actually fought someone for real.

As Jack continued to observe their movements, while Fishlegs dodged one of Hiccup's attacks by quickly stepping sideways, he noticed that there were definitely massive differences in their fighting styles. Where Fishlegs relied on his strength and his bigger size to mainly deliver brutal direct attacks, Hiccup used his quick reflexes, speed and creativity to not only dodge Fishlegs' attacks in smooth and unpredictable movements but also put in some rather powerful strikes of his own. The brunet obviously knew how to use his leaner frame to his advantage. Where Fishlegs was strength, Hiccup was grace, and Jack found it strange how the brunet could move so swiftly with his prosthetic. He couldn't take his eyes off Hiccup, as he continued to step effortlessly around the terrain, while his green eyes were focused on his opponent, and his movements were confident and without hesitation as if this was somehow second nature to him. It baffled Jack how Hiccup could be so graceful as he was fighting Fishlegs, but at all other times being able to stumble over tree-roots or his own feet. It was a very strange balance, and Jack found it oddly fascinating.

Fishlegs stuck his sword straight ahead with full force towards Hiccup, and the brunet quickly ducked and rolled to the side to avoid getting smacked hard in the face.

Jack heard Rapunzel gasp, and Merida laughed heartily, obviously enjoying watching this fight. They could actually get some serious bruises out of this, if one of them got hit, Jack thought. Oh well…They're Vikings, they're used to getting injured in one way or another.

"Good move, Hiccup!" the red-head yelled encouragingly at Hiccup, but it didn't seem like the Ravenclaw heard her.

They all watched as Hiccup got to his feet in seconds, before Fishlegs could launch more attacks. As the Ravenclaw quickly spun around to face his opponent, Fishlegs moved at a fast pace towards him. Their wooden swords clashed against each other once again, as Hiccup initiated a strike at Fishlegs, but while they were in such close proximity to each other, the blonde Viking suddenly kicked Hiccup in the stomach, causing him to groan and fall backwards. The brunet landed in the wet grass, while Fishlegs stood up in front of him with his sword pointed at the other Vikings chest. Jack winced as the kick had landed on Hiccup. That looked like it hurt, and now it seemed like Hiccup had lost. Good thing this wasn't a real fight.

"Do you surrender, Hiccup?" Fishlegs asked in obvious triumph, his blue eyes gleaming with the joy of winning.

"Nice going Fishlegs!" Merida yelled and Flynn whistled loudly at the heavy Viking boy.

A smirk spread across Hiccup's face, tugging at the corners of his lips. Jack immediately knew that the brunet had a plan. He smiled to himself. This should be interesting.

Hiccup had apparently grabbed some dirt in his hand, without anyone noticing, as he suddenly lifted his hand in one quick move and threw the dirt in Fishlegs' face, causing the heavy Viking to be distracted for a few moments, his vision blinded and irritated. Hiccup used these seconds to his advantage and swung out his leg in a single forceful move and kicked the legs out from under Fishlegs, who tumbled down and landed on his back, just as Hiccup quickly jumped up, covered the few feet between them and pointed his wooden sword directly at Fishlegs' neck.

"Do _you_?" Hiccup asked in amusement, a bright grin lighting up his entire face, as he quickly grabbed Fishlegs' sword that the blonde had dropped, when he tumbled down on the ground. Hiccup threw the sword a few feet away and smirked in one of those rare cases of self-satisfaction that Jack loved to see on his face. It was somehow just so pleasant to watch Hiccup actually being confident and a little proud of himself once in a while, as he was usually so dismissive of himself and his abilities.

"Fine, you win this round, _burlufotr*_" Fishlegs said in surrender and held his hands up, while his lips twitched in amusement.

Jack couldn't stop a bright grin flashing across his features, as he recognized the old norse word as Fishlegs' nickname for Hiccup: "Clumsy foot". It was very fitting…now apart from the obvious exception of fighting.

Hiccup reached out his hand to Fishlegs, and when the blonde Viking closed his hand around Hiccup's the skinnier Ravenclaw pulled the larger boy to his feet.

"Yeah, Hiccup!" Flynn cheered and Jack quickly joined in with a few "whoos" and whistles, while Merida and Mavis clapped with huge smiles on their faces. Apparently Jack wasn't the only one who had enjoyed watching the two Viking boys fight.

The two Ravenclaws approached the other five teens that had been observing their swordfight and they both slumped down next to each other, across from Flynn and Jack. Fishlegs was panting slightly and sweating a little, tiny droplets gleaming on his forehead. The heavy boy rubbed his eyes a little with one of his sleeves, and Jack assumed that they were probably still at little irritated by the dirt Hiccup had thrown in them. Hiccup seemed less affected by the physical activity, but he was still a out of breath.

"That was great! You guys are really skilled" Merida said appreciatively, her blue eyes wide with excitement.

"Yeah, it was awesome!" Jack quickly agreed.

"That's one of the things you learn, when you live on Berk" Fishlegs said happily and wiped the sweat off his forehead with a sleeve. Hiccup nodded slowly.

When Fishlegs once again rubbed his eyes with a sleeve, Hiccup watched him intently.

"Hey Fish, are you okay?" the brunet asked his friend in concern.

"Yeah, fine fine. It just itches a little" Fishlegs responded, dropping his arm again.

"Sorry" Hiccup said sheepishly, as he continued to watch his Viking friend with worry.

"Come on, Hiccup. You know all tricks are fair game. I kicked you, after all" Fishlegs replied with amusement twitching his lips.

"True" Hiccup agreed and smiled fondly at his blonde friend.

"What were those words you were yelling at each other?" Jack asked curiously.

Hiccup and Fishlegs both immediately beamed with amusement, and Fishlegs chuckled a little.

"Well…" the heavy, blonde boy started, his blue eyes still filled with mirth. "Vikings like to throw some pretty heavy insults at their enemies in the heat of battle. I told Hiccup: "I am Fishlegs and you are less than a heap of shit" he explained, causing Flynn, Merida and Jack to laugh and Hiccup to smile warmly.

"But he sort of put me in my place by yelling "Gaze upon your destiny: with this sword I will cleave your lying maggot mouth from your swine head" Fishlegs said happily, and began chuckling at the words. This explanation sent Flynn and Jack roaring with laughter, while Mavis and Merida snickered. Rapunzel just smiled fondly, as she was obviously very used to this kind of thing from the two Vikings.

"That was like the best insult ever" Flynn said breathless from laughing so hard.

"Thanks. I have my moments" Hiccup said dryly, but his green eyes twinkling with mirth.

"I heard from a reliable source that you stole those swords" Jack said and shot the Viking a bright smile.

"_Borrowed_" Hiccup said and rolled his eyes. "What don't you understand by the word "borrowed"?" he then asked Rapunzel in amusement, but the blonde girl just shook her head slowly in response and grinned at the Viking. Fishlegs chuckled next to Hiccup.

"I didn't know you were such a troublemaker, Hic" Jack said cheekily and leaned back against the massive oak tree he and Flynn were sitting by.

"Oh yes, I'm a true rebel" Hiccup replied sarcastically, causing the other teens to giggle.

"Apparently" Jack started. "After all, not everyone just grabs weapons from the workshop and challenges another Viking to a fight"

"Borrowed" Hiccup once again said, slowly and deliberately, as if Jack was a child. "But point taken…Oh, that reminds me, I just need to grab something" Hiccup then said and immediately got up and walked away briskly, leaving the other teens confused. Even Fishlegs and Rapunzel obviously had no idea what Hiccup was doing, as they were staring in confusion at his retreating form, as the Ravenclaw disappeared from view. What the hell was he doing?

While Hiccup was gone, Merida and Flynn became engulfed in a discussion about the Slytherin Quidditch team and what sort of weaknesses they had, that she, Jack and the other members of the Gryffindor team could take advantage of in the game later today. Fishlegs informed them that Terry Keaton seemed to have trouble writing in Magical History and, according to the heavy Viking, his strained movements seemed to indicate a damaged wrist, so he would probably have a little trouble with his grip on the broom, making him easier to push in another direction. Jack was impressed with Fishlegs' sharp observation. He wasn't sure if he would have noticed something like that.

Somehow, the conversation ended up with him and Flynn teasing Merida relentlessly, trying to push her buttons by implying that she shouldn't be on the Quidditch team, much to Jack's amusement.

"Look Red, I'm just saying that a delicate flower like you needs to be protected. We can't just have you flying around beating bludgers and potentially getting hurt" Flynn said with his face in grave folds, even though he was clearly loving this.

Merida's eyes narrowed, and her voice was dangerously low. "Don't go there, Rider. I don't need to be protected by anyone."

"Jack?" Flynn asked for support and raised his eyebrows.

"Hmm…I don't know, Mer. I mean…Quidditch is really a guy sport, I'm not sure if a _woman_ has any place there" he said jokingly, trying to say all the right things that would annoy the red-head to no end. Mavis, Rapunzel and Fishlegs giggled at his comment.

"It's for your own good, Curly. We're just shielding you from the pain of the outside world" Flynn added, closing his eyes for a few seconds as if he seemed pained by this necessity.

"Oh please…I don't need protection, and least of all from a Snow Queen and a guy who thinks he has a magical dating move"

Jack then grabbed Merida's Gryffindor scarf in one swift movement and held it over his head, teasing the red-head.

"Give it back, Frosty" Merida said with hostility, although her blue eyes conveyed that she was just kidding around.

"No, I don't think so, Mer. You need to acknowledge that we're obviously superior to you" he shot back and grinned at Flynn, who was chuckling and clearly approving of this.

"Never!" Merida refused and scowled at him.

"Well, then you can't get this back" he replied and winked at her.

"Then I'll just get yours" the red-head said and reached out to grab Jack's scarf, before Flynn held her back.

"Oh no you don't" Flynn said in amusement.

"You've both just made a powerful enemy" Merida narrowed her eyes even more in that threatening manner of hers.

"Oh I doubt that. After all, you're just-"

Jack's teasing was instantly interrupted by a loud "whoosh" and then a thud, as the scarf was ripped out of his hand. Silence immediately occurred between the teens as they all took a few moments to understand what just happened. Jack looked behind him and an arrow was imbedded in the massive oak tree, pinning Merida's scarf to the tree trunk. What the…?

Jack looked around him and quickly spotted Hiccup a little in the distance with a huge grin on his face, holding a bow. As Jack processed the fact that the brunet had just shot a freakin' arrow towards him, Hiccup began covering the distance between him and the other teens.

"Hi again" the Ravenclaw said happily, obviously proud of his achievement.

"Did you just shoot an arrow at me?" Jack said, still in slight disbelief, causing Merida and Flynn to both laugh at the absurdity of the situation.

Hiccup chuckled. "Yeah? Well…not at _you_, but at the scarf you were holding"

"You could have hit me, you crazy Viking" Jack objected and crossed his arms, but couldn't keep the grin off his face at that surreal moment.

"Don't be silly, Jack. I had everything under control" Hiccup replied calmly and smiled at him.

"That's_ not_ really reassuring"

"Hiccup knows what he's doing" Fishlegs interjected. "He's really good with the bow"

At Jack's raised eyebrow, Hiccup replied: "Come on, you know I would never actually hurt you" and crossed his arms in protest.

"Fine" Jack pouted. "You're still crazy though" he added and stuck his tongue out.

"I'm comfortable with that" Hiccup smirked.

"Is that…?" Merida then spoke, her eyes fixed on the weapon in Hiccup's hands.

"Yeah, this is for you" Hiccup said happily, his green eyes clearly excited, as he handed the bow to Merida, who eagerly accepted it and began running her hands over it and examining the carvings on it.

Hiccup then covered the distance between him and the tree, pulled the arrow out, took the scarf and quickly mended it with his wand before tossing it in Merida's lap, while the curly-haired girl was still busy looking at her new bow.

"This is…amazing" Merida said fascinated and Jack had to agree with her. Granted, he didn't really know anything about weapons, unlike Hiccup and Fishlegs…and partly Merida as well, but the bow looked amazing as its smooth, reddish wood gleamed in the sunlight and the lighter carvings trailed along it, standing out with their beautiful patterns. "You did these carvings?" Merida asked in slight awe.

"Yeah" Hiccup said a little sheepishly, as he sat back down next to Fishlegs.

"It must have taken ages" Mavis interjected, also scanning her eyes eagerly across the weapon.

"It took a long time, but I had fun doing it" the brunet replied and shrugged with a small smile on his lips. Sometimes Jack's and Hiccup's definitions of fun were definitely very different. Who had fun doing wood carving? Jack mused. Well, obviously Hiccup, but geez…he really was a dork sometimes Jack thought affectionately…A dork that not only knew how to _make _weapons but also how to _use _them…and apparently very well. That was a strange combination if Jack ever heard of one…He briefly thought how surprised the other students in the castle would be, if they found out that, in a one-on-one fight without magic, Hiccup could probably take most of them down...especially considering that witches and wizards tended to not care much about any kind of self-defense that wasn't magic...The fact that Hiccup was good at fighting seemed to strongly contradict the whole quiet bookworm appearance that the brunet liked to keep up...and it was kind of the same thing with Fishlegs...the guy seemed so shy and afraid of conflict and yet a few moments ago, he had been fighting Hiccup as if it was the most natural thing in the world.

"This is just…thank you so much, Hiccup" Merida spoke softly and her blue eyes conveyed obvious gratitude towards the brunet.

"You're welcome...You can start training now" Hiccup replied excitedly. "I could even give you some tips if you want sometime"

"Yeah, I'd like that" Merida replied genuinely. Jack's eyes softened as he took in the interaction between Hiccup and Merida.

As the seven teens remained outdoors, enjoying each other's company and the mild autumn sun and crisp chill in the air, they joked around, laughed together and told each other stories. Jack briefly thought about how well they all got along, and how it was quickly becoming a habit that Hiccup, Rapunzel and Fishlegs hung out with him and his friends. It was like their two groups were slowly merging and Jack was very pleased with that. Not only did he consider Hiccup his friend now, but Fishlegs and Rapunzel were slowly getting there as well.

After a few hours of amusing banter and discussions, the time for the Quidditch match was drawing nearer. Merida cast a quick Tempus spell to check the time, and told them that they had 45 minutes before the match began.

"Well, we should probably get going. Astrid won't be happy if we aren't there at least 15 minutes early" Merida told the other teens.

"True" Jack replied and nodded in response. Astrid always insisted that everyone should be there early to avoid someone being late and ruining their chances against the other team. "But Hiccup could always calm her down for us" he then added and smirked.

"No, Jack. No. Just because we're friends now doesn't mean you get to use my friendship with Astrid to your own advantage" Hiccup said and smiled while he pointed a finger at him.

"Aww, I would never do that, Hic"

"You totally would" Merida said and nudged his shoulder playfully.

As the teens made their way back towards the castle, Jack and Merida needing to change into their Quidditch uniforms and everyone else wanting to change out of their school robes and also grab some flags and other stuff to show their support of Gryffindor in today's game, Jack turned to Hiccup.

"So are you going to be all red and yellow like Flynn and Mavis to show us how awesome we are?" Jack asked jokingly, while walking next to his brunet friend.

"Not really, I don't have anything red or yellow in my wardrobe. Not really colours I usually wear" Hiccup replied and shrugged.

"No kidding, almost all your clothes are either green or black or brown"

"I like those colours" Hiccup merely said and smiled a little. Jack _had_ noticed that Hiccup especially liked to wear green, and if he had to guess, he would say that that was the Viking's favourite colour. Anyway…it _definitely_ wouldn't do that Hiccup didn't have anything red and yellow to show his support of their awesome team.

Jack had a thought and then quickly took off his house scarf. As he and the others kept walking towards the castle, he reached out and wrapped the red and yellow striped scarf around Hiccup's neck in a few quick movements. The Ravenclaw instantly looked at him in confusion.

"There. Now you look like a true Gryffindor" Jack said and beamed at the brunet, who was eying him skeptically.

"Except that I'm a Ravenclaw?" Hiccup replied with a hint of amusement in his voice and raised his eyebrows.

"Minor detail" Jack shrugged. "Just for today's game you're a Gryffindor" he then insisted and grinned at Hiccup.

"Fine, I'll betray my house just for today. Thanks Jack" the brunet replied and shot him a smile.

"No problem, Hic. You need to show those Slytherins that you're on our side"

"I don't think they care too much"

"Well, they would if they knew that you and Fishlegs are actually dangerous, awesome Vikings and that we've now recruited you" Jack replied and a bright smile spread across his face.

Hiccup shook his head in amusement. "Maybe"

"Definitely….by the way, why haven't you tried out for the Ravenclaw Quidditch team? You'd be really good with those quick reflexes?" Jack asked his brunet friend in genuine curiosity. Plus, it would be_ a lot_ of fun to go up against Hiccup in a Quidditch match.

"Well…I have other things to spend my time on" Hiccup replied cryptically.

"Better things to do than swoop through the air, doing awesome maneuvers and getting surges of adrenaline?" Jack asked him and threw his arms up in an excited gesture, trying to encourage Hiccup to consider how much fun Quidditch actually was.

Hiccup just smirked knowingly to himself but didn't reply, which intrigued Jack. Once again there was something that Hiccup was keeping to himself and right now Jack wished that he was a less curious person, but he just couldn't help it. He wanted to figure Hiccup out…wanted to find out what the hell was hidden underneath those knowing smiles and guarded eyes. That would take time though.

~~~~ Hiccup ~~~~

The Quidditch game was quite enjoyable to watch, being a real nail-biter. Currently the score was 60-70 in Gryffindors favor. Hiccup, Rapunzel and Fishlegs were with Flynn and Mavis in the stands, eagerly cheering for Jack, Merida and Astrid. The three Ravenclaws held up a red and yellow banner that Rapunzel and Hiccup had made during art class yesterday. It featured a detailed Gryffindor lion as well as Jack's, Merida's and Astrid's names. Fishlegs and Rapunzel also had a few streaks of red and yellow facepaint on their cheeks, while Hiccup still had Jack's Gryffindor scarf around his neck. Flynn and Mavis had gone all out and were wearing red shirts and yellow pants under their cloaks, facepaint, and holding yellow and red striped flags, waving them eagerly in the air to show their support.

As Astrid swooped by in a blur past the stands where they were standing, holding the Quaffle under one arm while gripping the broomstick tightly with the other, her red and yellow Quidditch uniform flapping violently in the wind, they all yelled and cheered as loudly as they could.

When his blonde friend approached the Slytherin's keeper by the goal posts, she was maneuvering around a few Slytherin chasers who attempted to get the Quaffle from her. Astrid was too swift though, and with a few evasive maneuvers, she made them fly straight into each other instead of her. As she continued to move closer to the goal posts, Merida sprang into action nearby, using her beater's bat to hit a bludger and cause it to fly in another direction than towards Astrid. When Astrid was close to the keeper, she threw the Quaffle speedily through the air with all her strength and it made it into the goal without difficulty. That keeper really didn't stand a chance, Hiccup thought to himself.

He and the others instantly cheered and yelled eagerly, waving the red and yellow flags and holding up the banner with enthusiasm, and the rest of the students supporting Gryffindor erupted, roaring with joy and clapping excitedly, drowning Hiccup's ears with noise. Astrid flew past them in the stands once again, this time slower and closer to them, and Hiccup waved at her while flashing her a huge grin.

"Yeah Astrid!" He yelled as loudly as he could, and Astrid beamed at him in response and eagerly waved back, before taking off again quickly, trying to obtain the Quaffle once more. Hiccup really was happy to be here and support Astrid as well as Jack and Merida. He had been to all of Astrid's Quidditch games since they became friends about two years ago, and she really was talented. It was no wonder that she had been made team captain. After all…she had skills_ and_ she was a natural leader. Now though, it was even more fun watching the games since he also cheered for Jack and Merida.

Rapunzel tugged on his sleeve and he turned his head to look at her. She smiled and pointed towards something, so he followed the direction with his eyes and found Jack, who had apparently spotted the snitch, as he was quickly and attentively flying towards something. Hiccup smiled at Rapunzel, before telling Mavis and Flynn that Jack seemed to be on his way to the snitch, which caused the two Gryffindors to beam at him and quickly focus their attention from Astrid to their white-haired friend, following his every move.

As Jack continued to rush speedily through the air, changing directions rapidly and climbing up and down in the sky, eager to obtain that elusive golden snitch that none of the other students could see from where they were standing, a bludger suddenly flew past Jack at lightning speed, and the pale teen only_ just_ managed to avoid getting hit by the violent ball. Hiccup felt his stomach drop, and he heard Mavis gasp next to him and felt Rapunzel's slim hand grip his shoulder tightly in obvious worry, but he kept his eyes trained on Jack. That was a close call, but luckily Jack was a very talented flyer.

Hiccup thought that was the end of it, but out of nowhere the bludger returned, shooting through the air like a bullet towards Jack once more, and Jack wasted no time in immediately changing direction and flying away as quickly as he could. It became obvious though, that whenever the pale teen changed direction the bludger followed, and continued to chase him around the Quidditch pitch. Hiccup cursed to himself and he felt the eyes of the other teens on him immediately, looking for answers.

"It's jinxed" he told them and Mavis' and Flynn's eyes widened as they immediately turned their attention back to Jack, watching him intently with obvious worry on their features. He didn't see Fishlegs' or Rapunzel's reactions, but once again he could feel Rapunzel's hand digging into his shoulder.

Gasps and hushed conversation erupted in the stands, as every student was observing Jack now, having figured out that something was very wrong. Hiccup was growing concerned, a knot of anxiety forming in his stomach as he kept his eyes trained on Jack, who was still being followed by that violent bludger. Luckily Jack was fast and agile on his broom, and he managed to avoid getting hit by the rogue bludger quite a few times, dodging it with creative evasive maneuvers, like suddenly diving straight down, changing directions at random and out of nowhere, and swinging down from his broom, so he was hanging upside down from it. As Jack quickly rushed around one of the large wooden Quidditch towers, the uncontrollable ball smashed straight through it, sending splinters and large chunks of wood flying through the air towards the ground.

Hiccup began darting his eyes back and forth all around them to see if he could spot the culprit who had jinxed the bludger. He needed to try and stop this. He needed to help Jack. A sea of different faces, different expressions, different demeanors flashed through his vision as his eyes glided over the crowds, and he could hear his heart pounding in his head. Everyone was completely focused on Jack and his struggle to evade the dangerous bludger. Hiccup briefly glanced at the professors, who were speaking to each other frantically, trying to find a solution, but he knew that they couldn't interfere, as they might accidentally hit Jack instead of the bludger. Mavis and Flynn were speaking in utter panic next to him, trying to brainstorm how they could help Jack, but they were coming up empty. They had no way of doing anything without endangering Jack as well.

Hiccup quickly looked for Jack again. The pale teen was still being chased by the bludger, changing directions rapidly to throw it off course for as long as he could. Hiccup's mind was desperately trying to come up with some kind of solution. He once again let his gaze scan the crowd for any kind of behavior that stood out somehow. Someone here was responsible for this and all he could do for Jack was try to find out who it was.

As he took in all the faces around him once again, trying to decipher their expressions and what they meant, he was instantly pulled out of his train of thought by something in his peripheral vision.

There. Hiccup recognized him. The shoulder-length black hair, the blue eyes, the angled face…the familiar boy was mumbling words to himself, while having his eyes trained intently on the scene unfolding before him. Hiccup couldn't see if he had his wand out because of the many students blocking his view, but he was certain that this was the guy. He instantly felt the anger rise within him, and without a word to the others, he began making his way towards the black-haired Hufflepuff, bumping shoulders with several students and pushing past them in a hurry, when the sound of Mavis' panicked voice reached his ears and he instantly froze in his tracks.

"Jack!" the black-haired girl screamed and Hiccup immediately spun around, training his eyes on the Quidditch pitch trying to locate Jack.

His green eyes found that familiar head of white hair and watched as Jack fell from his broom, his unconscious form dropping through the air at massive speed towards the ground, and he felt his stomach drop instantly. His chest constricted and he couldn't breathe, as Jack hit the ground and rolled onto his back, still unconscious.

"Jack!" he shouted in panic and took off like a bullet through the sea of students in the stands, trying desperately to reach Jack and find out if he was okay. He heard Flynn, Mavis, Rapunzel and Fishlegs following him, also wanting to get to Jack as quickly as possible.

As he reached the end of the stands, after pushing several students out of the way and almost tripping in his hurry to get to Jack, he ran out into the Quidditch pitch, and saw Merida in the distance, already kneeling next to their white-haired friend and several professors standing around him. As the jinxed bludger made its way towards the ground, apparently eager to get to Jack again, professor Lunar raised his wand and destroyed it with a single flick of his wrist.

Hiccup heard the soft sounds of running feet behind him from the other teens, and his heartbeat was pounding loudly in his head while the adrenaline surged through his veins, as he forced his legs to carry him faster towards his friend.

When he finally reached the pale Gryffindor and quickly looked him over, the worry within him intensified. Jack was still unconscious, lying completely motionless with closed eyes, but that wasn't what was making Hiccup's stomach twist and turn violently in concern. Jack had sustained a headwound from the bludger hitting him and even though he couldn't see the wound, it was bleeding quite a lot, staining the green grass around his head with a horrifying crimson colour.

Hiccup felt the presence of the other teens behind him, as they had caught up with him now, but he didn't look at them. He couldn't take his eyes off Jack and the precious red liquid that was seeping out of him. This was bad…

"Jack…" Mavis said in horror from somewhere behind him and her voice sounded strained, as if it was about to break.

Professor Lunar knelt by Jack's side next to Merida, and gently asked her to hold Jack's head up carefully. The red-head immediately complied without a word and lifted Jack's head with a flat palm on each side of it, to avoid accidentally touching the wound and making things worse. Her blue eyes were wide and brimming with worry and mute panic, mirroring Hiccup's own feelings. The pale headmaster pointed his wand towards the back of Jack's head and swirls of blue and white emerged from the tip drifting towards the headwound. Hiccup couldn't see exactly what was happening, but he knew that their headmaster was closing Jack's wound and he let out a sigh of relief. Jack wasn't out of the woods yet, but the most important thing had been to stop the bleeding as soon as possible.

The gently light of blue and white subsided and professor Lunar nodded to Merida to tell her, that she could lower the pale teen's head again. She did so, slowly and carefully, but kept kneeling next to him, obviously not wanting to leave his side.

"Professor Bunnymund, can you please take Mr. Overland to the hospital wing?" Professor Lunar asked the tall, big Australian professor, who instantly gave him one nod in response and began moving towards Jack with determination. Hiccup watched as the Defense against the Dark Arts professor carefully lifted Jack into his strong arms, one arm under the Gryffindor's knees and one under his upper back. Professor Bunnymund wasted no time and instantly began walking away from the Quidditch pitch with brisk steps, obviously wanting to get Jack to the hospital wing as quickly as possible. Hiccup and the others followed him closely behind, not wanting to be separated from Jack for even a minute.

As they followed the Australian professor towards the hospital wing, they all walked with fast, determined steps and in complete silence. No one wanted to speak right now, and Hiccup suspected that they were all playing 'worst case scenarios' in their heads, freaking themselves out even more. He knew that _he_ was doing just that…imagining different ways that this might play out, most of them being terrifying.

He walked quickly next to Rapunzel, who slipped her hand into his and gave it a gentle squeeze before releasing it. He appreciated the gesture. His blonde friend wanted to comfort him, as she was sure to know that Jack was becoming important to him, but unfortunately her affection didn't quell the worry pulsing through his veins, making him feel nauseous and restless.

Despite only having taken about five to ten minutes to reach the hospital wing, it seemed like an eternity, and Hiccup was growing more and more nervous, as they continued to follow their professor. He let out a breath he hadn't even realized he'd been holding, as they spotted the familiar entrance to the hospital wing, and as they entered, madam Whitley immediately left her sitting position behind her desk and approached them with furrowed brow, as she took in the unconscious Gryffindor in the professor's arms.

"Please put him there, professor Bunnymund" madam Whitley said and pointing towards one of the hospital beds, before she quickly turned around and headed towards a cabinet, which she flung open and took out several different vials with potions in them.

The blue-haired professor nodded silently and gently lowered Jack down onto the bed and stepped back. Hiccup and the others kept their distance, as they all knew that the medi-witch would need space to help their friend. It wasn't easy though…Hiccup wanted to be by Jack's side.

Madam Whitley nodded once to professor Bunnymund, who turned around and then exited the hospital wing, having fulfilled his task. The medi-witch pulled a screen in front of the hospitalbed, obscuring Hiccup's and the other's views of Jack. Hiccup really didn't like not being able to keep an eye on his friend, but he also knew that he had no say in the matter. Madam Whitley had to do whatever she needed in order to fix Jack.

A heavy silence descended upon the six teens, as they waited for the medi-witch's verdict. Flynn was standing still, staring blankly into space, clearly shocked and worried, while hugging Mavis tightly, the pale girl's face buried in his chest, as he was stroking her black hair in a comforting gesture. He wasn't looking very reassured himself though and this only managed to increase Hiccup's own concern. Merida had slumped down on the stone floor and was leaning against the wall, while having pulled her knees to her chest and hugging them with her arms, as she rested her head on them. The red-head's blue eyes were brimming with unshed tears, but she angrily rubbed them with the red sleeve of her Quidditch uniform, causing dirt from it to stain her cheeks.

Hiccup began pacing back and forth, not knowing what to do with himself. He couldn't bear standing still right now, he needed to do _something_, even if it was something as stupid and useless as pacing. He shot a quick glance at Fishlegs and Rapunzel, who were both standing next to each other, watching him as he continued to walk around between the same two walls. Fishlegs had one comforting arm around Rapunzel, and the blonde girl was hugging herself.

Hiccup tore his eyes off his friends and focused on the simple act of walking back and forth. Somehow, the simplicity of that gave him the tiniest comfort. It was easy. It was familiar. Not like the situation he was finding himself in, his friend being seriously injured…He tugged a little on Jack's scarf that was still wrapped around his neck. Jack was going to be okay…he _had_ to be.

Hiccup clenched his fists as he turned around and walked towards the other wall. He had a word to exchange with a certain black-haired Hufflepuff, when this was over…

The time was passing excruciatingly slowly, and none of the teens said a word to each other. Hiccup was lost in his own thoughts as he continued to walk back and forth and back and forth over and over again, almost obsessively. He thought about how he'd like to see that stupid, challenging smirk or that huge bright grin on Jack's face right now or hear his bubbly laughter. How he'd like to see that one raised eyebrow when Jack was teasing him or that slight headtilt he did when he was curious about something. He felt his stomach clench and the nausea intensify, as he continued to worry himself more and more, thinking stupid, horrifying thoughts that made him feel even worse than he already did.

His thoughts were suddenly interrupted as madam Whitley approached them from behind that annoying screen that separated them from Jack. Merida immediately jumped up from her position on the floor, and Mavis and Flynn pulled apart and closed the short distance between them and the medi-witch. Hiccup, Rapunzel and Fishlegs instantly did the same, eager to get any news about Jack's condition.

"Mr. Overland is going to be okay" madam Whitley told them with a kind smile on her lips. They all breathed sighs of relief, and Hiccup felt the nausea and worry inside him subside right away. "He is still unconscious, but I have managed to heal his injuries. When he wakes up, he will most likely still experience a little pain, but it should be gone by the end of the day" Madam Whitley explained and they all eagerly nodded in response. "You can stay with him if you want, but try not to wake him up. He needs his rest" she added before turning and walking away from them towards her desk, probably to resume the work they had interrupted when Jack was brought here.

Hiccup sighed deeply once again in relief at the news, and Fishlegs gave him a reassuring squeeze on his shoulder. Rapunzel pulled him into a tight hug, and he enjoyed the familiar warmth covering him like a soft blanket. As he rested his head on his blonde friend's shoulder, while she had her slim arms wrapped around him, he watched Mavis, Flynn and Merida all hug each other with huge smiles on their faces. Mavis' had a few tears of relief trailing down her cheek and Flynn quickly and gently wiped them away, while smiling fondly at her.

As he and Rapunzel pulled apart, Hiccup turned towards Flynn, Merida and Mavis.

"Thank the gods he's okay" he said honestly, letting his obvious relief seep into his voice and gave them a genuine smile. Jack was going to be fine...Hiccup would see that stupid playful smile and amused blue eyes of Jack's again soon and that was a major comfort to him.

"Yeah, I was so worried he might have been seriously hurt…" Merida said quietly and then let out a sigh and hugged herself.

"Or worse" Mavis said, her blue eyes conveying the horror of that realization.

"But he's not. He's going to be fine" Flynn softly spoke reassuringly and wrapped an arm around Mavis' shoulder for friendly comfort.

"I want to be there when he wakes up" Mavis said determined.

"Yeah, me too…We'll wait by his side, Mav" Merida agreed and covered the few feet of distance between her and Mavis to give her black-haired friend a quick hug.

Hiccup waited for a few seconds, before saying what was on his mind.

"Would it be okay, if we stayed too?" he asked the three Gryffindors in front of him. He didn't know Jack as well as they did and he wasn't sure if they might feel that he was intruding on something private.

"Of course you can stay, Hiccup" Flynn said without hesitation. "You're Jack's friend too and I could tell that you were all really worried about him"

"We were…I'm so glad he's going to be okay" Hiccup said genuinely and sighed. He met Mavis' blue eyes and the black-haired girl smiled warmly at him in response. He found himself feeling closer to Jack's friends in this moment.

"Yeah…us too" Merida said quietly and a tiny smile tugged her lips upwards for a brief moment.

The three Gryffindors and three Ravenclaws gathered around the hospitalbed, where Jack was laying completely still, eyes closed and with a peaceful expression on his face. They had all taken a chair from somewhere in the room over to the bed, and the three Gryffindors sat by the right side of the bed, while the three Ravenclaws were on the left side.

They remained in those positions for about two hours, and tried to keep themselves occupied with friendly discussions and even a little banter, now that they were all certain that Jack was going to be okay. They all kept an eye on Jack through out, wanting to be sure that he wasn't in pain or some other kind of distress and wishing to know immediately when he woke up. At one point Jim stopped by and told them that everyone was really worried about Jack, but professor Lunar had told them all to stay away from the hospital wing to give madam Whitley peace and quiet to work on the pale teen. Their headmaster had allowed Jim to go though, to find out what had happened to Jack and then inform the other Gryffindors. The brunet was clearly relieved when he found out that Jack was going to be okay. He told them that the match had been cancelled due to Jack's injury, so there had to be a rematch at some point. Merida seemed very pleased about that, as she definitely didn't want to lose to the Slytherins. Jim stayed for a little while before telling them to tell Jack he said hi and was here, when the snow-haired teen woke up. Then the brunet Gryffindor exited the hospital wing to go back to the Gryffindor common room and let everyone know that Jack was okay.

As the three Gryffindors and three Ravenclaws became occupied by a discussion on which Quidditch team was the worst at the magical school (Merida and Flynn quickly disagreed, as Merida said Hufflepuff while Flynn insisted it was Ravenclaw), Jack's brow suddenly furrowed and he began mumbling something. All six teens immediately became quiet and leaned a little forward in their chairs and observed the white-haired boy attentively with concerned expressions.

"What's he saying?" Merida asked and glanced at the others.

"I don't know" Flynn replied honestly and shrugged.

Jack continued to mumble something that none of them could understand. In Hiccup's opinion it didn't even seem like words as such, but just strange sounds.

Then the pale snow-haired teen's eyes slowly opened and Jack squinted a little, obviously getting used to the light, and then blinked a few times to focus his vision. Hiccup once again felt relief wash over him, as Jack seemed to be okay.

"Jack…how are you feeling?" Mavis immediately asked and leaned in to squeeze Jack's hand.

"I have a _serious_ headache" Jack replied and a flicker of a smile tugged at his lips.

"Well, that's to be expected" Flynn said as he observed his pale friend with affection in his brown eyes.

"What happened?" Jack then asked, his brow furrowing in confusion, as if he was trying to remember.

"You were hit in the head by a bludger…someone jinxed it" Hiccup told him calmly, but tugged a bit on one of his braids.

"Oh right…" Jack said, obviously remembering his attempts to dodge it.

"But…who would do something like that?" Rapunzel asked rhetorically, not knowing that Hiccup actually knew the answer. He remained silent though, as that was all he could do right now. He would take care of it later.

"I don't know" Flynn replied and Mavis and Merida both seemed to be contemplating whether they knew someone who had it out for Jack.

"You haven't pissed anyone off recently have you?" Merida asked their white-haired friend.

"Just you" Jack replied with amusement in his voice. Hiccup found himself thinking how amazing it was that Jack always seemed to be able to lighten the mood, regardless of the situation.

"Yeah, you're always pissing me off, Snowflake" Merida shot back but with a fond smile gracing her lips. She reached out and squeezed Jack's hand in a rare display of affection. Hiccup smiled warmly at the interaction between the two Gryffindors.

"When can I leave here?" Jack then asked.

"Whenever you're ready" Mavis said gently.

Jack nodded in response. "Maybe in a little while…who won the game?" the pale teen asked.

"It was cancelled, so there's going to be a rematch sometime" Merida explained and this caused Jack to smile.

"Good…so I didn't blow it by falling victim to a diabolic bludger"

"You know, you really had us worried there, Jack…" Hiccup told his snow-haired friend, wanting Jack to know how relieved they all were that he was okay.

"Well…you're not getting rid of me_ that_ easily" Jack replied with that familiar smirk on his face that Hiccup had longed to see, while he was unsure of whether Jack was going to make it or not. He sensed a warmth spread in his chest and a tug of affection.

"Oh, I know that" Hiccup shot back with a smirk of his own. "We're stuck with you"

"Definitely" Jack replied and grinned at him, causing Hiccup's smirk to transform into a bright smile. As he glanced at the others, he saw warm smiles on all of their faces.

"Well, thank god for that" Flynn interjected. "What would we do without you, Jackie?"

"Lose all sense of purpose in life" Jack replied jokingly, causing Merida and Flynn to chuckle.

"Ever the humble one, Snowcone" Hiccup said as he watched Jack with fondness in his green eyes.

"Of course. You know me, Hic. I'm practically the essence of humbleness"

"You're the essence of many things. Humbleness is not one of them"

"Aww, come on Hic…I'm injured, you should be extra nice to me"

"I _should_, but…where's the fun in that?" Hiccup smirked.

Jack grinned at this, flashing those straight white teeth. "Now, you're finally getting it"

The seven teens remained in the hospital wing for a few hours, talking and laughing together, before they all agreed that Jack could go back to Gryffindor Tower to sleep for a little while before it was time for dinner. After all, madam Whitley had told them that he needed his rest, and Jack didn't object to that as he was quite exhausted after this whole ordeal.

While Mavis, Flynn and Merida all followed Jack back to their common room, Hiccup, Rapunzel and Fishlegs split up for the time being. Hiccup needed some peace of mind after this whole stressful affair and he also needed to calm himself down for what he was going to do later, so while his two friends went to the library, he went outside and down to the lake after having picked up his sketchbook and some charcoal pencils from the dormitory.

~~~~ Hiccup ~~~~

Hiccup was walking briskly down one of the old corridors with determination in his steps. He had a pretty good idea of where he could find the person he was looking for and the closer he got to his destination, the more the frustration was roiling inside him, leaving its aggressive ripples through his entire being. Sitting by the lake, taking in the peaceful surroundings and focusing on sketching had calmed him down but only temporarily. He clenched his fists and hoped that he could contain his anger enough to not punch the guy, when he saw him.

After a few minutes of walking along the hallway, he spotted that familiar head of shoulder-length black hair, and the swirling of annoyance and hostility in his gut grew instantly. Luckily Wallace was alone, so he didn't need to wait or find some kind of excuse to get him by himself. The black-haired Hufflepuff was walking down one of the rarely used corridors with a couple of books under one arm, and the privacy of this area of the castle was the exact reason why Hiccup had chosen to seek him out here, away from prying eyes. He knew that Wallace was often here, because he'd seen him in these parts of the castle a lot a few years ago, when Hiccup would often go here himself to find that particularly quiet study room that most students didn't even know existed.

He followed Wallace at a fast pace, quickly beginning to cover the distance between them. He made sure to move silently despite his quick steps, and the Hufflepuff obviously hadn't heard him approach, as Wallace continued to stroll casually down the passageway, clearly lost in thought. When Hiccup was close enough to touch the guy's back, he grabbed his shoulders and then spun him around, not letting go of his grip on the boy.

When Wallace's eyes met his, the Hufflepuff took a few seconds to collect himself, as he was obviously very confused about the sudden contact.

"What the hell are you doing, Haddock"? Wallace asked with obvious annoyance lacing his voice, his blue eyes narrowed. Not that Hiccup cared how inconvenient this might be for the Hufflepuff. He was angry and Wallace needed to know that he should never mess with his friends.

"Shut up and listen, Wallace" Hiccup said and glared daggers at the boy, who was very close to his face, as he kept his firm grip on the guy's shoulders to keep him in place. "I know what you did. I _saw_ you jinx that bludger"

"I don't know what the hell you're talking about" Wallace spat and rolled his blue eyes.

"_Don't_…even try that whole innocent act with me. I saw you. I _know_" Hiccup snapped.

"Whatever, Haddock" Wallace said defensively and his nose wrinkled a little while his brow furrowed, clearly conveying the irritation within him. Well, denying the whole thing was definitely only going to piss Hiccup off more.

"No,_ not _whatever. You hurt Jack" Hiccup spat and dug his fingers into Wallace's shoulders, feeling the soft fabric of the Hufflepuff's robes against his fingertips.

"Oh boo hoo…so Jack Frost got a little injured, big fuckin' deal" Wallace replied annoyed and scoffed afterwards. Hiccup took a deep breath and suppressed the urge to slam a fist in the boy's face. Even though he was fiercely protective of everyone he cared about, he was also _very_ familiar and _very _good at restraint. He knew how to hold himself back, not escalating situations with violence unless it was somehow necessary. This situation was definitely going to require that particular skill of his.

"It _is_ a big deal" Hiccup replied and he had lowered his voice to a dangerously low, hostile tone. He wanted to get his point across and it seemed to work as Wallace hesitated for a few moments before answering him, doubt evident in his blue eyes as he continued to watch Hiccup.

"Just mind your own business, Haddock"

"This _is_ my business. Jack is my friend…why were you trying to hurt him?" Hiccup asked, still keeping his face close to Wallace's. He needed answers. Now. He was growing impatient with playing games.

"I don't have to tell you anything" Wallace said defiantly and scowled at Hiccup. Oh yes, you do, he thought to himself. He was not going to let Wallace go, until he told him the truth. He needed to know why this guy was so intent on hurting Jack, so he could also figure out how to avoid something like that happening again in the future.

He quickly let go of one of the boy's shoulders, pulled out his wand from a pocket in his robes in one swift move and dug it into the soft skin right under the Hufflepuff's chin. Wallace flinched instantly.

"Oh really? You're sure you want to test me right now?" Hiccup hissed. If Wallace thought that he could injure Jack and then just walk away, pretending nothing had happened, he was seriously mistaken.

He watched Wallace's eyes widen for a few seconds in obvious anxiety, but he remained silent. Hiccup dug the wand a little more into Wallace's skin and the boy winced a little. Of course he wasn't actually going to seriously hurt him (even though he kind of wanted to and would do if he ever hurt Jack again) since that would be stupid…He was not a violent person, and furthermore he was not going to get expelled because of that jerk. The Hufflepuff didn't need to know that though. Hiccup wanted the truth from him, and if Wallace had to believe that he would harm him to get it, then so be it.

"Fine" the Hufflepuff spat in a combination of irritation and anxiety, like an animal that was cornered without an escape route…which_ was_ sort of the case here, as Wallace couldn't just take off. "I'm just sick of Jack fuckin' Frost, okay? Everyone adores him, everyone thinks he's so great and funny. The girls talk about him all the time and I'm _sick _of it".

Hiccup sighed, lowered his wand and took a few moments to consider the black-haired teen's answer. There was definitely more behind that statement, he thought to himself. No one would hurt Jack like that just out of general annoyance. It didn't make sense. There had to be something specific that had happened. Something that made it a personal matter to Wallace…and if Hiccup had to guess…he would say that there was probably a girl Wallace really liked, maybe even loved, who had feelings for Jack and somehow Wallace blamed him for it. That would definitely be the kind of the thing that could be turned upside down in someone's head and used as some kind of excuse for hurting someone else. Hiccup felt his temper flare, as he thought about what kind of consequences this little stunt of Wallace's could have had.

"You could have killed him, you idiot" he said in frustration. It was pure luck that Jack wasn't seriously injured or dead and that thought _seriously_ pissed him off. Wallace was upset with Jack and because of that, Jack could have actually been killed.

Wallace's blue eyes immediately widened in horror and his whole demeanor seemed to instantly shift from annoyed to panicked. Before the black-haired Hufflepuff even opened his mouth, Hiccup had already figured out what was happening and he felt himself getting very tired in those few brief seconds before Wallace spoke once again.

"W-what?! Kill him? I wasn't trying to kill him!" the black-haired boy blurted out, his blue eyes still filled with shock. "I just…wanted him to get hurt a little…like break an arm or something" the flustered teen explained, now apparently eager to share his motivations, so Hiccup wouldn't think that he was some kind of psychopath.

Hiccup's thoughts had been confirmed and he sighed deeply to try and calm himself down a little, as the anger was rising within him, crashing its destructive waves in his gut. Apparently he was not _just_ dealing with a huge jerk who had hurt his friend but a freakin' _moron _as well.

"Are you seriously _that_ stupid?" he hissed, his grip around Wallace's shoulders tightening to mirror his angry emotions. "Did you_ honestly_ think that you could jinx a bludger and then control it perfectly, hitting a fast moving target just in the place you intended!?"

Wallace's silence and breaking of eye contact, as the black-haired guy began watching the floor intently was all the confirmation Hiccup needed. By _Yggdrasil*_, he needed to calm himself down before he broke the guy's nose or something. Yes, due to his Viking background he'd had a lot of _actual _experience with how difficult it is to hit a moving target, but even so…anyone with a brain should be able to at least _think_ that thought.

"You…_idiot_. If that bludger had hit Jack just a little differently, he could have been killed instantly"

Wallace visibly squirmed under Hiccup's intense gaze. Hiccup once again took a deep breath to try and quell those raging waves of anger and frustration inside him just a little. He needed to restrain himself.

"If you're going to tell on me, just do it, Haddock…" Wallace said carefully, suddenly sounding very tired and now his demeanor had shifted to a certain acceptance of the situation. He was clearly intimidated by Hiccup and wanted this unpleasant conversation to be over as soon as possible. Well, that wasn't going to happen just yet. Hiccup was calling the shots right now and he didn't care just how uncomfortable Wallace was.

"Oh, I'm not going to 'tell on you'. You know why?" he asked in annoyance, as he continued to hold Wallace in place by digging his fingers into his shoulders.

The Hufflepuff remained silent, but his blue eyes conveyed the uncertainty within him. He was clearly confused about why Hiccup wouldn't involve the professors and had an inner debate on whether it was in his best interest to reply or stay quiet.

"Because there's no proof so it would be word against word, and I know that professor Hyde* would never punish you anyway, seeing as he plays favorites constantly and he's always liked you. So…it wouldn't make any difference, except be a huge bother for me…But _don't _think that gets you off the hook for a second. I promise you this…if you _ever_ try to hurt Jack again…you'll be dealing with _me_…and I won't hesitate to shove your wand down your throat" Hiccup said icily. In this moment he was particularly grateful that he had had such a growth spurt, as he was now a good deal taller than Wallace and also stronger. He probably wouldn't have been able to warn him just as effectively, if he'd still been short and scrawny.

His threat definitely seemed to work, as Wallace nodded mutely, appearing quite shocked and speechless at Hiccup's warning. That was good. Hiccup really didn't like doing this, but Wallace needed to take this seriously. No one hurt Hiccup's friends, and even though he and Jack hadn't known each other for long, the white-haired Gryffindor had already become quite important to him. Because of Wallace's lack of ability to actually _use_ his brain, Jack could have died.

"And if you somehow get the stupid idea to try again anyway, it won't just be me you'll be dealing with…Jack has a lot of friends at this castle, and every single one of them would want to get their hands on you, if they found out that you hurt him. Keep that in mind"

Wallace gulped, much to Hiccup's satisfaction.

"Now…get out of here, and remember what I said…you don't hurt Jack _ever_" he said, wanting to burn the words into the Hufflepuff's memory. Then he released Wallace from his tight grip, and the black-haired teen stared at him for a few seconds before quickly walking away down the corridor, shooting nervous glances at him over his shoulder.

As Hiccup made his way towards the Great Hall to meet up with Rapunzel and Fishlegs and have some dinner, he actually didn't feel much like eating anything. Gods, how he hated having to deal with people's stupidity and violent nature. It brought out a side of him that he didn't like at all, despite its necessity. He couldn't just let Wallace go free, the guy needed to know that his actions had consequences and that Jack wasn't someone he could hurt, just because he was obviously envious of him. Hiccup really didn't like doing that though…he didn't like the fuming anger, the violent thoughts, the need to smash something…all those feelings that bubbled incessantly inside him, whenever someone bothered or hurt a friend of his. He was usually a calm and collected person, who tried to avoid conflicts…it was one of his personality traits that he was quite fond of.

He sighed to himself and fidgeted a little with one of his small braids, as he continued on his way to the Great Hall. He felt quite guilty for not telling Jack's friends that he knew who did it, but first of all he didn't have any proof, just like he'd told Wallace. All he had was Wallace's confession coupled with the fact that he had seen him mumbling words, focusing intently on Jack, but he couldn't prove_ any_ of that, so it just wouldn't accomplish anything. Second of all, he knew that Jack's friends were fiercely protective of each other, and he wasn't sure if Merida and her temper could be contained or if she would beat Wallace to a bloody pulp and get herself expelled for it. Flynn was sort of a wildcard in that area. He hadn't seen Flynn angry before, but he also knew that he sort of considered himself Jack's big brother and that kind of relation always came with a lot of protectiveness. He recognized that from his friendship with Rapunzel. For these reasons he had chosen to keep it to himself and take care of Wallace, so the Hufflepuff would never try anything like that again. If Wallace had actually intended to kill Jack or if he was a part of a group who was somehow out to get the pale Gryffindor, Hiccup would of course have told Jack and his friends about all of this. However, that wasn't the case...Wallace was acting alone and for stupid reasons, and he was clearly too intimidated now to ever do something to Jack again.

Hiccup tried to mollify himself with the fact that Wallace hadn't actually meant to try and kill Jack. He was just too stupid to realize that his actions could have ended fatally. If they_ had_ in fact ended like that, the conversation he had just had with the Hufflepuff would have been _very _different.

~~~~ Jack ~~~~

It had really done wonders for him to get some sleep in the dormitory for a few hours, before going to the Great Hall for dinner. His headache had subsided and he actually felt pretty good despite the soreness in his muscles. His three best friends had been there, when he had woken up, sitting on Flynn's bed, talking and laughing. They were all still a little worried about him, even though he told them that he felt just fine. As they made their way towards the Great Hall, he felt them shooting glances at him when they thought he didn't notice. He knew they were just keeping an eye on him though, being caring friends as usual.

When the four Gryffindors had entered the Hall and walked towards their house table, Jack was approached by a lot of other students, some were people he knew quite well, others he had only spoken to a few times, but they all asked him how he was doing and expressed relief and joy when he told them that he was okay. That warmed his heart quite a bit. Apparently, a lot of people had been worried about him. When he sat down by the Gryffindor table, Liam, Harry and Jim all smiled brightly at him and greeted him fondly, telling him that they were happy he was already feeling so much better. When Jack briefly met Astrid's eyes from further down the table, even the blonde Viking girl gave him a happy smile, conveying that she was pleased with his quick recovery.

After a little while of smalltalking with his friends and other Gryffindors, Jack shot a glance at the Ravenclaw table and quickly located Hiccup, who was looking at him. The brunet waved at him and he returned the gesture with a grin on his face, before turning his attention towards the other Gryffindors once again.

He had woken up with a growling hunger in his belly, so when the food appeared on the table, he was eager to pile some of it on his plate. As he quickly ate, he briefly thought that he must remind people of Merida right now, the way he had grabbed a lot of food and pushed it on to his plate and was now chewing through it at a fast pace. He couldn't help it though. He was starving.

After people's initial curiosity of seeing him after his injury had died down, dinner had been fairly standard. Jack joked around with his friends and they discussed a number of different things from the rematch against the Slytherins sometime in the future to whether the red panda or the black and white panda was cuter. That last discussion was particularly important, and Jack had burst out laughing when Merida became annoyed that he couldn't see that the obvious choice was the black and white panda. Merida's ability to take any topic of discussion incredibly seriously as soon as people disagreed with her was an endless source of entertainment.

When they had finished their dinner, Jack and his friends exited the Great Hall. He quickly spotted Hiccup leaning against a wall, holding his sketchbook with one hand and a pencil with the other, tracing lines across the paper. The brunet lifted his head and met Jack's eyes, before putting the sketchbook and the pencil in his black satchel and walking towards them.

"Hey guys" Hiccup said happily and gave them one of those small waves that he often did when he greeted someone.

They all said "Hi" or "Hey" back, smiling at the Ravenclaw in front of them.

"Jack…do you have some time to hang out?" Hiccup asked him casually and observed him with those green eyes.

Jack's curiosity stirred. He and Hiccup usually didn't hang out in the evening, as he often went to the common room to hang out with his friends and the other Gryffindors, and Hiccup would spend time outside reading and sketching, in the library or with Rapunzel and Fishlegs in Ravenclaw Tower. And when they spent time together, it was usually Jack who asked Hiccup, so this was sort of a reversed situation.

"Sure…how could I ever say no to my favorite Viking?" he asked and grinned brightly. It was true though. He would never say no to hanging out with Hiccup, unless he had a _really_ good reason. Hiccup smiled genuinely in response.

"I'll see you guys later" Jack told his friends and flashed them a smile, and they all nodded in response and threw warm "bye's" and "see you later's" at him and Hiccup, before they began walking down one of the corridors towards the Gryffindor tower.

"Where are we going then?" Jack asked his brunet friend curiously.

"Follow me" Hiccup replied with a smile and started to move down one of the passageways. Jack did as he was asked and followed the Viking boy.

"So where _are_ we going?" he asked after a few minutes of walking in amiable silence.

"You'll see"

"Come on, Hic" Jack pouted. He really was curious as to where they were going. It was rare for them to hang out inside the castle when they weren't in classes, and he didn't know there even were any places to hang out in this part of the castle.

Hiccup suddenly stopped, so Jack did the same and observed the Ravenclaw for a few moments.

"We need a place to hang out" Hiccup said without looking at Jack.

"Yeah, well, I know that?" he replied in confusion.

Jack's focus was pulled away from his Ravenclaw friend suddenly, as a huge door was revealed in the wall that was blank before.

"What is this?" Jack asked Hiccup, wanting to get some answers.

"The room of requirement" Hiccup stated and smirked a little in self-satisfaction.

"Really?" Jack said in genuine curiosity, as he examined the massive door that had appeared. He'd heard about that room before, but he'd never been inside it. As far as he knew, most students had no idea where to even find it. Well...this was interesting.

The two boys entered the room and Jack already felt comfortable in his surroundings. The room was warm and welcoming with a huge, lit fireplace with golden details on the mantelpiece, four big soft armchairs, two blue ones and two red ones, around a square dark wooden table. The carpet was soft and dark red, while the walls were a rich dark blue and there were several large bookcases lined up along two of the walls. The color scheme in the room actually seemed like a mix of Gryffindor and Ravenclaw colours now that Jack thought about it.

He quickly covered the distance to the chairs and slumped down in one of them, sighing as he put his feet on the table casually. Hey, this was the room of requirement and he was hanging out with Hic, so he didn't need to follow particular rules of social politeness here.

Hiccup sat down in one of the other chairs from across the table. He put his black satchel on the table and rummaged around in it a little, while Jack watched him with curiosity. What was he looking for?

His question was answered, when Hiccup pulled out a bottle. Well well well, Jack thought as he observed the bottle, as the brunet placed it on the table. Hiccup grabbed two glasses that were already on the table when they entered and poured some of this unknown liquid into them.

"Are you going to poison me, Hic?" Jack asked with a grin tugging the corners of his lips upwards. This whole scenario definitely seemed like something out of a movie, where one of the main characters are poisoned by someone they thought they could trust, he thought to himself in amusement.

Hiccup smirked in response and met his eyes, as he put the bottle down on the table. "Please" he said dismissively with a waving hand gesture. "If I wanted to poison you, you would never see it coming"

"Well, _that's _reassuring"

"Isn't it just?" Hiccup smiled evilly and Jack chuckled.

"You totally have a dark side, don't you?" he asked the Ravenclaw, while raising one eyebrow.

"Definitely" Hiccup smirked.

"So what is this?" Jack asked curiously and motioned to the bottle with his head.

"Mead" Hiccup replied happily and leaned casually back in his chair.

"_Seriously_?" Jack asked in disbelief with a raised eyebrow. "You have _alcohol_ inside the castle?"

"Yup" Hiccup smirked in self-satisfaction but didn't elaborate. How the hell did he get his hands on alcohol? And…why? It seemed so out of character for Hiccup, but then again…as Jack had already concluded during their very short friendship, Hiccup was a surprising person. Earlier today Jack had learned that he had stolen the wooden swords from the workshop, and now he was breaking the rules by having alcohol in their school. Jack smiled briefly to himself. Hiccup wasn't at all as innocent as he appeared at first. He definitely had a rebellious, mischievous side.

"How?" He asked eagerly, his curiosity getting the better of him. He tilted his head of white hair, as he continued to observe the Ravenclaw in front of him, whose green eyes were gleaming with obvious amusement at Jack's surprise with the whole situation.

"Fishlegs' parents sent us some" Hiccup replied with a small smile quirking his lips upwards and shrugged.

Okay, he definitely hadn't been expecting that answer. "His parents…sent their teenage son and his friend alcohol…at their school?" he asked slowly in disbelief.

"Yup. Viking parents" Hiccup simply explained and a huge grin spread across the Ravenclaw's face.

"That is awesome!" Jack grinned, revealing those white teeth of his. "Viking parents are great!"

Hiccup smirked in amusement and nodded. "They really are".

Then he slid one of the mead-filled glasses towards Jack's end of the table. The liquid was a warm golden color and Jack found himself eager to find out what it tasted like.

He took the glass and raised it towards his lips. He could smell the sweet but strong scent emanating from the liquid, and as he let the mead touch his lips, the taste of alcohol and honey coated his taste buds. This was definitely strong booze…but it was delicious!

"Wow…that tastes great!" He exclaimed happily and quickly took another sip.

"I'm glad you like it" Hiccup said genuinely and drank some of his own mead.

"It's sweeter than I imagined"

"Well, it_ is_ made from honey" Hiccup explained.

Jack nodded. "So this is the stuff you Vikings get drunk on…I can see why"

"Yeah" Hiccup chuckled. "Just be careful Snowflake, you're not used to it"

"Oh come on, I've had alcohol before" Jack said and waved a hand dismissively. He wasn't some completely inexperienced 13 year old who was being introduced to alcohol for the first time.

"I'm sure you have, but mead is strong alcohol"

"Pssh, I can handle anything" Jack dismissed Hiccup's thoughts. Like a little booze was going to knock him out. He'd had alcohol several times and gotten drunk too. A little mead was nothing he couldn't deal with.

"Sure you can" Hiccup drawled and chuckled in amusement. Oh that little shit Jack thought to himself with laughter in his eyes. Hiccup obviously disagreed with him and was even entertained by his statement that he could handle anything. Well, he was definitely going to prove him wrong.

"So you and Fishlegs have just been sitting on this great stuff?" he asked his Viking friend and took another sip of the delicious alcohol.

"Not really, we've drunk the other bottle"

"And I wasn't even invited? The audacity!" Jack exclaimed and clutched his chest dramatically, pretending to be seriously hurt by this.

"Well, me and Fish needed some quality Viking time together" Hiccup chuckled and leaned back in the armchair, resting his left arm on the armrest, while still holding his glass. "So we went down to the lake late in the afternoon when everyone else was gone, drunk mead together and discussed fighting techniques, weapons and dragons".

"That sounds so damn manly" Jack grinned widely. He hadn't failed to notice that Hiccup had mentioned the dragons willingly, and he was delighted that the brunet was opening up to him more and more. He still didn't ask about it though. He would let Hiccup take his time.

"Of course" Hiccup replied and raised an eyebrow. "Me and Fishlegs are like the _essence_ of manliness" the Ravenclaw finished sarcastically.

"Sure you are, little Viking" Jack laughed.

"Little Viking? _Seriously_?" Hiccup asked skeptically and raised his eyebrows.

"Oh absolutely" Jack said and flashed Hiccup a challenging smirk.

"You know that I'm just as tall as you, right?"

"Yeah, but that hardly matters"

"And I'm older than you?"

"Yes I know that Hic, but it's about wisdom"

Hiccup laughed at that and Jack felt that familiar warmth in his chest that he had gotten so used to in the last couple of weeks. It really was something special to make Hiccup genuinely laugh. Jack briefly considered if he felt that way, because he knew that Hiccup had a painful past.

"Right" Hiccup drawled. "Wisdom…how could I forget?"

"Well, you aren't the brightest that's for sure"

"Unlike you, of course?"

"Naturally, but don't worry. You have me to enlighten you"

"Thank the gods…I'm obviously completely inferior to your massive intellect, _Snær flekkr_"

Jack chuckled and also felt happy by Hiccup using the nickname that had started to become a regular thing, since the Viking first called Jack that a few weeks ago. After the third or fourth time Hiccup used it, Jack had insisted to know what it meant. He couldn't say that it didn't fit him and it seemed to follow the pattern of all the other things Hiccup called him…they all had something to do with winter.

"Of course you are" Jack said cheekily and smirked at the Ravenclaw, who just rolled his eyes in response, but with that faint trace of a smile on his lips.

A few moments of silence passed as both the teens took another swig of their drinks.

"So…why did you want to hang out now?" Jack asked the brunet in genuine curiosity. He definitely wanted to know what was going on in Hiccup's mind to cause this break in routine.

"Well…" Hiccup started. "I guess I just figured that after all the drama today, it would be nice to spend some time together and have a drink" he explained, gesturing with his hands in that familiar way of his.

Jack nodded. "You were right about that…It's certainly been an…eventful day". That was putting it lightly…it wasn't every day he sustained a serious head injury and was rushed to the hospital wing.

"Yeah…" Hiccup said hesitantly. "You know, you really scared me there for a moment".

"Awww…you _do_ care" Jack replied teasingly and flashed Hiccup a cheeky smile. Inside he felt a kind of bubbly warmth at Hiccup's words.

"Did you ever doubt it?" Hiccup asked and his green eyes softened, while a fond smile quirked the Ravenclaw's lips upwards.

"Of course not, Hic" Jack said sincerely. Despite only having hung out for about three weeks, Jack didn't doubt that Hiccup cared about him a lot. And of course the feeling was mutual. He took another sip of his mead. This stuff really was yummy. "Sorry I scared you…" he then said softly to his brunet friend.

"You have nothing to be sorry for. It obviously wasn't your fault"

"No it wasn't…I hope whoever decided to mess with me at least got a good scare out of it, so they won't try something like that again" Jack replied, leaning back in his chair, enjoying the softness of it. He definitely didn't want to experience a jinxed bludger again, but he wasn't really too concerned. It was probably a prank gone wrong or a one time thing to get him to lose the match.

Something briefly flickered in Hiccup's green eyes, but Jack couldn't decipher it and that bothered him a little. What was he thinking about?

"I'm sure they did…it looked pretty horrible when you were bleeding from the head" Hiccup replied softly and held both of his hands around his glass, rotating it slowly.

"Yeah, it probably did…"

"You could have died, Jack…" Hiccup said hesitantly and those forest-green eyes had suddenly become solemn. Jack didn't like seeing that at all, but he understood how Hiccup was feeling. He would feel the same way if the situation was reversed and Hiccup was the one who had been seriously injured.

"Yeah, I know, but I didn't" Jack then said and smiled warmly at his Viking friend, feeling quite touched by Hiccup's level of concern. He took another sip of his drink and emptied the glass.

"No…luckily you didn't" Hiccup replied warmly, as he reached out and grabbed the bottle, before leaning across the table and pouring more mead into Jack's empty glass. "But are you okay?" Hiccup then added, watching him intently.

"Yeah, I'm okay. No harm done"

"Okay, well…if you need to talk about it some time, I'm here"

"Thanks, Hic…You're a good friend" Jack said sincerely and he really appreciated Hiccup's offer. "Have you ever been close to dying?" Jack found himself adding, wanting to know more about the deeper layers of his newest friend and in light of today's events the question seemed fitting.

"Yeah, I have…"

"Oh?" he asked and instantly felt a tug of concern towards his brunet friend. From all that Hiccup had told him about Vikings and the archipelago, Jack knew that it was a pretty dangerous place to live, but still…

When Hiccup remained silent, breaking eye contact with him to look at the fire, Jack asked: "Do you remember it?"

"Most of it…" Hiccup spoke softly and seemed to be deep in thought, as his eyes became slightly unfocused for a brief moment.

Jack decided to wait a little before speaking, as Hiccup seemed like he might add something. His thought was confirmed when the Ravenclaw quietly and uncertainly spoke again, breaking the silence between them.

"After the encounter with the dragon queen I fell into a sea of her flames and was in a coma for two weeks" Hiccup's eyes became slightly guarded after the words left his mouth.

"A sea of flames? And you were in a coma for two weeks?" Jack said in slight disbelief. Hiccup must have been seriously injured for something like that to happen.

"Yeah…" Hiccup was hesitant and seemed to be contemplating something. Jack fiddled a little with the sleeve of his hoodie, while once again waiting patiently for Hiccup to decide whether he wanted to share more or not. It was actually quite difficult for Jack to be so patient, but somehow it didn't bother him with Hiccup. He wanted Hiccup's trust and with someone that private, it had to be earned, so he would happily wait even if he was brimming with curiosity. He took another sip of the alcohol in his glass, as he continued to watch his brunet friend sitting across from him.

"That's how I lost my foot" Hiccup then revealed, meeting Jack's eyes with his green gaze that seemed to be conveying the hesitation within the Viking. Jack gaped openly at him for a few moments, as he processed what Hiccup had just told him.

"You actually lost your foot defeating the dragon queen?"

"Yeah" Hiccup confirmed sheepishly and a faint pink tint appeared on the Ravenclaw's smooth white skin on his cheeks. Jack smirked in amusement. Hiccup was unbelievable sometimes…but in a good way.

"Wow Hic, I had no idea that your missing foot was actually a cool battle injury. You're like a real Viking warrior" Jack answered playfully with a huge grin.

Hiccup's lips twitched. "I wouldn't say _that_"

"Of course you wouldn't, you're way too dismissive of yourself to ever say something like that" Jack chuckled.

Hiccup merely shrugged at that and Jack thought of how typical that was for the Ravenclaw. He'd only really known Hiccup for about three weeks now, but it didn't take long for him to figure out that the guy had serious self-esteem issues…which was completely ridiculous, as he had so many great traits and skills that he should be proud of.

"Seriously, you need more confidence"

"Yeah I know, Jack" Hiccup agreed without shooting any sarcastic remarks his way, which only confirmed that Hiccup was in a pensive mood right now.

A few moments of silence passed between them.

"Hic…?" Jack asked hesitantly. He wasn't sure how much he could ask about this near death experience of Hiccup's, before the brunet would become too guarded and feel like Jack had intruded.

"Yeah?" Hiccup replied, watching him with curious green eyes, as he took another sip of the mead. Apparently he'd emptied his glass as he quickly poured more of the golden liquid into it.

"When you woke up from the coma and discovered…everything….what were you thinking?" Jack asked softly and wondered if it was a stupid question to ask. He didn't really care though. He wanted to know.

Hiccup seemed to contemplate his answer for a minute, as he broke eye contact with Jack and stared into the crackling fire that seemed to bathe his face in a soft, warm glow. Jack found himself briefly thinking how strange it was that Hiccup was indeed a Viking…he was such a calm and gentle person, and yet he had grown up in such a brutal place in a very tough culture. It seemed to contradict his personality.

"It's…I was relieved that I was alive and that everyone was okay, but…something important had been taken away from me…and it took a _long _time to fully accept that…" Hiccup replied honestly, training his green observant eyes on Jack once again.

Jack nodded in understanding. "I'm sorry you had to go through that". He felt a pang of concern and sympathy towards his brunet friend.

"Why are you sorry? You had nothing to do with it" Hiccup asked in confusion, furrowing his brow.

"I know, I know, it's just…it doesn't seem fair that something like that had to happen to you"

Hiccup shrugged. "I _do_ sometimes wish that my foot was back, but…_life_ isn't fair so it's better not to dwell too much on these things"

"I guess you're right" Jack said and once again emptied a glass of mead. When Hiccup didn't move to pour more of that delicious booze into his glass, he looked at the Ravenclaw in a questioning manner and tilted his head slightly.

"You're not going to give me more?" he asked curiously. He definitely wanted a refill of that honey-flavored treat.

Hiccup smirked in response. "I don't think that's a good idea, Jack"

"What? Why?" Jack pouted and this caused the Ravenclaw's smirk to transform into a bright smile.

"I don't want to get you drunk, Snowcone" Hiccup replied as if it was obvious.

"What!?" Jack said in a high-pitched voice that couldn't exactly be labeled as 'manly'. "I won't get drunk"

"You will" Hiccup merely smirked knowingly, as he took a sip out of his own glass.

Jack quickly reached out and grabbed the bottle himself and started pouring more mead into his glass, while smirking challengingly at Hiccup, daring him to try and stop him. If Hiccup wasn't going to give him a refill, he would take it himself. The Ravenclaw didn't move though.

"Seriously, Jack? You're going to be hungover tomorrow" Hiccup warned him with a small, amused smile tugging the corners of his lips upwards, but he still didn't do anything to stop him.

"No, I'm not" Jack insisted. He wasn't even feeling tipsy yet. There was no way he was going to be hungover. Silly Viking.

"Well, don't come whining to me, when you feel like a pile of dragon dung tomorrow"

"Oh I won't…but you'll have to admit to me that I was right, when I feel perfectly fine tomorrow"

"I don't mind that, since it's_ never_ going to happen"

Jack took another slurp of the mead and Hiccup did the same. Jack pushed the bottle on the table towards Hiccup, encouraging him to fill his own glass again. The Ravenclaw didn't need to think twice about that and grabbed the bottle before pouring more of the delicious alcohol into his glass.

~~~~ Hiccup ~~~~

As he and Jack continued to talk and laugh in the soft chairs by the fireplace, covering all kinds of topics from Pascal's human-like behavior to previous pranks that Jack had pulled, Hiccup could not only tell that Jack was experiencing a slight buzz from the mead, but also felt that familiar warmth spread through his own body that came from the alcohol. He decided not to drink that much more. After all…he still needed to take Toothless flying later tonight, and he definitely shouldn't be drunk for that. He also did _not_ want to be hungover tomorrow.

"You know…I've been taking a break from pranking her, but now that I'm friends with you, I'm bound to have some kind of immunity from her wrath…" Jack said happily as he conveyed his thoughts on potentially pranking Astrid.

"No, Jack" Hiccup replied firmly but with laughter in his eyes. "Like I told you earlier, you can't use my friendship with Astrid to your own advantage"

"And you should definitely help me, Hic" Jack began, as if he hadn't even heard Hiccup's reply. "If we work together we could do an awesome mind-blowing prank!" Jack spoke quickly and excitedly, gesturing with his hands.

"Oh no, there's no way I would ever do that, Jack…Astrid would _definitely_ kill me…and I don't _really _feel like dying right now" Hiccup said dryly. He was definitely not going to mess with Astrid like that.

As soon as the words left his mouth something briefly flickered in Jack's blue eyes and the pale teen watched him intently, as if he was studying him.

Silence passed between them.

Hiccup wondered why Jack was quiet all of the sudden. That wasn't like him. What was he thinking about? Had Hiccup accidentally reminded Jack of something unpleasant? Perhaps some horrible memory from the past? He hoped not.

The white-haired boy was still observing him, remaining quiet, and Hiccup was beginning to worry.

"Jack?" he asked hesitantly, furrowing his brow in confusion.

The snow-haired Gryffindor continued to watch him with those piercing blue eyes that now seemed to be looking him over, as if he might have some kind of injury. What in Thor's name was going on with him right now?

"Jack, seriously…what's wrong?" he asked his friend, tilting his head of brown hair a little.

"Do you…you know…do you ever feel like…?" Jack asked uncertainly, worry lacing his usually cheery voice. His blue eyes were practically brimming with concern and he obviously wasn't sure how to phrase his question. Hiccup had understood his meaning immediately though.

He was shocked, to say the least, by this question. He hadn't expected Jack to take his little joke seriously in any way…but now Jack had once again, this time without knowing it, brushed the subject of his childhood. Despite being quite happy in life now, although still worried about the future, Hiccup had not been a stranger to darker thoughts, before he met Toothless and everything changed. Being all alone with no one to turn to…no one to truly talk to…no one who wanted to spend time with him…with everyone constantly putting him down, making him feel worthless…most people would probably have thought those kinds of thoughts at one point or another.

"Hiccup!" he suddenly heard Jack exclaim worried, slicing through his clouded mind. He instantly jumped slightly at the raised voice and focused his eyes on his pale friend.

"Sorry" he quickly mumbled and scratched the back of his head a few times. He had clearly been lost in his own thoughts, zoning out, so he hadn't even heard that Jack was speaking to him. He turned his gaze towards the fire and found a little comfort in observing the orange flames dance and listening to the gentle crackling sounds.

"Hiccup, answer me" Jack said firmly. It was a rarity to hear him speak like that, and Hiccup knew that when he did, it was because he was not kidding around.

"Don't worry Jack, I don't have those kinds of thoughts" he reassured his pale friend, still not looking at him but watching the fire. He could hear Jack sigh softly in relief.

"Anymore" Hiccup then added, before he even had a chance to think about it. He kept watching the fire, as a heavy silence descended upon the two teenage boys. Hiccup didn't really mind the silence as such…sometimes silence could actually be quite comforting, as he could just retreat into his own thoughts. He probably shouldn't have told Jack though…why had he let that slip? He was an expert at guarding his secrets, and so far in his and Jack's freshly formed friendship he hadn't revealed anything truly personal about himself before. Sure, he had told Jack about some of his romantic experiences and a little about his missing foot and the pain caused by it, but that wasn't personal in the same way that this was…this was something that only Fishlegs, Rapunzel and Astrid knew about, it was something that was connected to his past as a misfit and a failure, so why was he telling this to a guy he had only known for about three weeks? He found himself feeling a little concerned that Jack was able to slip through his defense mechanisms like that. It wasn't that he thought Jack would tell anyone, he was sure he wouldn't. Jack was a genuinely good guy. This was about more than that though…this was about whether Hiccup wanted and _should_ let someone new in or not…if they continued to be friends, should he really, in time, let Jack in? Let him uncover his secrets, let him see his emotional damage?

"Hic…I'm so sorry" he heard Jack's soothing voice say, suddenly breaking the silence between them. A tiny fond smile tugged at the corners of his lips, as he tore his eyes off the fascinating dancing flames and trained them on Jack once again. The pale teen was watching him with obvious empathy in his blue eyes that clearly conveyed not only concern but understanding as well. Hiccup was touched that he was so worried, but he didn't need to be.

"Jack, come on…I understand what you mean, but…you have nothing to be sorry for" he explained to the worried Gryffindor. Jack didn't seem too comforted by his words though, as he kept looking at him with that worried gaze and that slightly furrowed brow.

"Do you…want to talk about it?" Jack asked hesitantly as he leaned slightly forward in his chair, obviously unsure of whether he was crossing some kind of line.

Hiccup shrugged. "Not really. I think you're more affected by it than me right now" he said honestly and raised his glass to his lips to receive yet another taste of mead.

"You're not affected by it?" Jack asked in confusion.

"Not anymore…I'm fine now" He replied and waved a hand in a dismissive gesture.

Jack gave him a small but genuine smile, and Hiccup found himself feeling a tug of soft friendly affection in his chest. It really was strange how close he and Jack had gotten in just three weeks, despite Hiccup keeping him at arm's length in regards to his secrets. There was still a lot that Jack didn't know about him…things that were essential to who he was as a person. He wasn't ready to share those though. That would take time, so it depended on whether Jack decided to stick around or not.

"Good…and don't worry, I won't tell anyone, Hic…You can trust me" Jack said softly and leaned back in his chair. Despite not knowing about his past and the secrets he was still keeping under lock and key, Jack definitely seemed to have gained a lot of knowledge about how he was as a person…The Gryffindor knew that he had trust issues with other people and that he would instantly think about that after sharing something personal with someone.

"It's not that, Jack…It's just…" Hiccup tried to explain vaguely but then sighed. It was better to just be truthful with Jack. He was pretty sure that he would understand. "Can I be completely honest with you?"

"Of course. I don't want anything_ but_ honesty" Jack said sincerely.

"Okay…" Hiccup began hesitantly and nodded. "It's _not_ that I think you're some kind of jerk who will just pretend to be my friend and then stab me in the back, I already know you too well for that" he explained, gesturing with his hands, and Jack smiled warmly at him as he finished that sentence. "It's just…I have a lot of things that I'm not ready to share any time soon. Some things I might not _ever_ be ready to share" he explained truthfully. It was better that Jack knew how he felt about this, instead of just beating around the bush every time some subject he wasn't comfortable with was brought up. Everyone had secrets and that was okay.

Jack nodded. "That's okay, Hiccup. I understand" Jack began and his lips quirked upwards in a flicker of a smile. "You shouldn't tell me anything you're not ready for. I get that you have some painful stuff in your past…and the whole dragon thing of course…So just…take your time, and whenever you feel like sharing something, I'll be here, and the things you don't feel like sharing, you can keep to yourself. I won't try to push you" Jack told him calmly, his blue eyes watching him intently as he spoke those reassuring words to Hiccup, who instantly felt relieved that Jack did understand.

"Thanks, Jack. You're a good friend"

"So are you, Hic" Jack smiled at him.

After having hung out, drinking mead, talking and laughing for hours, they had emptied the bottle. Hiccup had definitely not drunk as much as Jack, and that had become more and more evident as time passed and the pale Gryffindor's voice began to slur a little and he seemed to become tired, his eyelids drooping a little.

"Jack, you're drunk" Hiccup said in amusement, watching his white-haired friend try to say the alphabet backwards, after having insisted that he could. He failed miserably though.

"No, I'm not Hic!" Jack pouted and crossed his arms defiantly.

"Come on, I'll take you back to the Gryffindor Tower" Hiccup said gently and got to his feet.

"Awwww, come on Hiccuuuuuuup" Jack whined and closed his eyes for a few seconds.

"No Jack, you need to sleep it off" he insisted and slung his black satchel over one shoulder, while looking down at the Gryffindor who was still curled up in one of the soft armchairs.

He reached out and pulled Jack to his feet by grabbing one of his arms.

"You're so boring, Hic" Jack pouted and swayed a little.

Hiccup laughed at that. Jack was seriously amusing when he was like this…all child-like and discontent. "Sure am" he replied as he guided Jack towards the exit of the room with a hand on the pale teen's back.

As they slowly walked towards the Gryffindor common room through the deserted corridors, Hiccup quickly noticed just how unsure on his feet Jack was right now. He put an arm around Jack's waist to keep him steady and the snow-haired teen instantly grinned at him.

It was late at night, but not beyond curfew so they wouldn't get detention for still wandering around the castle. Well...Hiccup wouldn't get detention no matter what the time was, as he had permission from professor Lunar to wander about at night, as he had to leave the common room very late to go fly Toothless, so no one would notice. Jack didn't have that same freedom though, and they didn't have that much time to spare.

"I should get you drunk some time…" Jack mumbled, as he leaned into him for further support and Hiccup felt the warmth of his friend envelop him in a nice, comforting way. He shook his head in amusement and kept guiding his friend through the hallways towards Gryffindor Tower with an arm around him.

"I really don't think that's a good idea" He replied, suppressing a chuckle.

"Yeah it totally is! It's like…the best idea ever!" Jack exclaimed happily, clearly proud of his own genius idea.

"It really isn't, Jack"

"You _bacraut_" Jack muttered and pouted afterwards and Hiccup couldn't contain the laughter that escaped him, as he heard the old norse insult leave the pale teen's mouth. How on earth Jack had known and remembered that word he didn't know but it probably had something to do with Rapunzel.

Jack practically beamed at him in response and seemed to take great joy in making him laugh. Which wasn't such a big surprise…Jack loved to make anyone laugh and it was one of the things he did best.

As the portrait-entrance to the Gryffindor Tower came into view Hiccup asked Jack what the password was. Jack had no hesitation in sharing that, and as they stood before the portrait, Hiccup said the password and the portrait swung open, revealing the entrance to the Gryffindor common room. Hiccup followed Jack inside to make sure that he actually went to bed and didn't start any trouble, like suddenly deciding to pull some of his 'mind-blowing pranks'. There were only two students, two guys Hiccup didn't recognize, in the common room as everyone else had apparently gone to bed and Hiccup was kind of relieved at that. People shouldn't know that he and Jack had had alcohol, as that might get them in trouble. The Gryffindor common room was large and kept in warm red and golden colors. It was filled with soft red couches and comfortable chairs, a huge fireplace and dark bookcases. All in all, it seemed very cosy and warm…more so than the Ravenclaw common room with its huge dome ceiling painted like the night sky, though Hiccup loved that. The two Gryffindor guys eyed him curiously as he followed Jack towards the staircase. They were probably wondering what on earth he was doing here in the Gryffindor tower.

Much to Hiccup's relief Jack merely waved at the two students and then continued on his way to the dormitories with Hiccup following behind him. They walked up the old creaking stairs and found the door to the room Jack shared with Flynn and two others. Jack pushed open the door and the two teens entered the dark room, where Hiccup could hear snoring and loud breathing. The pale teen walked drowsily and on unsure feet to his bed and then threw him self on it. As Jack was sprawled on his bed, Hiccup observed him for a few moments in amusement, as the snow-haired boy's eyelids quickly began to droop. He didn't even bother to change or to crawl under the covers.

"Well…good night Snowcone. Sleep it off" Hiccup told the Gryffindor, before turning around and walking towards the door.

"Hey Hiccuuuup" Jack said childishly, sounding like he was barely conscious but definitely still drunk.

Hiccup turned around, smiling at the amusing way Jack said his name. "Yeah?" he asked curiously, observing Jack who had now rolled onto his side, but still had his eyes half closed.

"You're like…totally great" the white-haired teen mumbled genuinely despite his current state.

Hiccup smiled fondly at the drunk, almost sleeping prankster.

"You're pretty great too, _snær flekkr_" he said softly before leaving the dormitory, descending the creaking staircase once more and exiting the Gryffindor common room to head towards the Ravenclaw Tower to grab his armor before going flying with Toothless.

**Authors note:  
><strong>  
><strong>So...what did you guys think? :)<strong> I eagerly await your opinions :D

Translations and explanations:

Yggdrasil: The tree of life in Norse Mythology. By its roots, trunk and leaves it goes through all three 'planes' of existence (the sky, the earth and the underworld). It's placed in the middle of the world as a sort of center, and it's a symbol of the order in the world. Under each of its three roots there is a fresh water spring with a different property or meaning: one granting wisdom and knowledge, one that is the gathering place of the gods when they need to discuss, make decisions or give a collective verdict on something, and one by the underworld and that spring is the home of the dragon Nidhoggr that is constantly gnawing on the root.

Snær Flekkr: Hiccup's nickname for Jack. Means a speck of snow in old norse, but can also sort of be translated as snow flake.

Burlufotr: Fishlegs' nickname for Hiccup. Means "Clumsy foot" in old norse.

The sentences Hiccup and Fishlegs use to insult each other (and several other swear words in norse in this story) are taken from a website. I can't verify if they are completely accurate as I don't speak old norse.

Professor Hyde: Hiccup mentions him to Wallace, because professor Hyde is the head of Hufflepuff house in this story, and therefore responsible for punishing students from this house. Of course the headmaster can expel someone, but that would never happen without proof.


	8. Damaged People

**Author's note:**

In this chapter Jack and Hiccup do some MAJOR bonding, as they let each other in on some deep secrets.

- There is a time skip in this chapter of one month and one week, so Jack and Hiccup have been friends for about two months now. So what has happened during this timeskip? Well, just daily life actually...they've hung out during and after classes, got to know each other better (not anything deep though), and they gotten to know each other's friends better as well. Jack, Hiccup and their friends are now spending time together every day and are beginning to see themselves as one group instead of two :)  
>- The title of this chapter "Damaged People" comes from the Depeche Mode song of the same name, which I listened to A LOT while writing the last parts of this chapter, where Jack and Hiccup do some important bonding (the lyrics fit really well!) :)<p>

~~~~ Hiccup ~~~~

TIME SKIP: ONE MONTH AND ONE WEEK

The sun was peaking out from behind the majestic mountains surrounding the ancient magical castle, bathing him in a soft, orange glow as he made his way back towards the dormitories from the small forest. Its gentle rays lit up the sky in beautiful layers of orange and pink nuances, and the scattered trail of golden clouds that drifted across the heavens somehow calmed his mind.

He let the fresh morning air fill his lungs and then exhaled, while walking past the Quidditch pitch. Flying with Toothless always seemed to fill his heart with a soft, delicate happiness that made him feel completely content. It soothed his mind, chased away his demons and replaced his worries with the feeling of freedom, of fulfillment, of belonging. His scaly best friend was truly amazing…nothing less.

As Hiccup continued on his way towards the castle to get to Ravenclaw Tower, his boot and his prosthetic squished slightly on the wet grass bathed in morning dew. Mornings were always so peaceful and he had come to enjoy getting up early immensely. Sure, he was tired at first, but he was quickly revitalized when he saw Toothless and went flying. Mornings also gave him time to think…precious quiet time before the other students in the castle woke up and the day officially began.

The gentle morning breeze ruffled his hair and he rubbed one of his eyes with a hand, as his thoughts started to wander to a certain white-haired boy that had become his friend.

Humans are peculiar creatures. Someone new can enter your life, bringing out new habits, new experiences, new thoughts and suddenly these things become a fixture in your life. Even though you had lived your whole life without them, all of the sudden their absence would bring about a strange sensation of missing something familiar.

It was weird how Jack had suddenly become a constant presence in his life. It had been about two months since they'd had their first real conversation that evening in the library, but to Hiccup it seemed like much longer. Time is an abstract, elusive concept though. It seems to always slow down or speed up in accordance with one's emotions, which makes its nature that much harder to grasp. When you've grown close to someone, your mind plays tricks on you. The sheer habit of having them around makes the time before they entered your life seem much farther away.

Hiccup had definitely grown accustomed to Jack being a part of his daily life, and he had now begun to consider him a close friend. The thought was pleasant and unnerving at the same time. Jack had confused him at first with his friendly banter and playful smiles. Hiccup hadn't been sure if he actually wanted to be his friend, or if he had some sort of agenda like everyone else seemed to have. As time passed though, Hiccup had realized that Jack genuinely wanted a friendship between them. The pale teen never asked him anything dragon-related or anything about his childhood, but seemed content just getting to know each other and having fun together. Jack had quickly come to mean a lot to him, despite their fairly short friendship and even though Hiccup still kept him at arm's length regarding his secrets. A part of him wanted to trust Jack with some of the things that weighed heavily on his mind, and another part wanted to keep it under lock and key, guarded by a million dragons. Even though he _did_ trust Jack, there was always a risk when it came to people…

~~~~ Hiccup ~~~~

The ancient corridors in the magical castle were fairly quiet today, as it was the weekend and Hiccup quite enjoyed that. He liked peace and quiet, and somehow crowded hallways always made him feel…watched. Even before he became popular, he disliked walking in crowds, as he felt the eyes of people around him burning into his skin, which made him self-conscious. Now it had become worse, as people were now actually approaching him, talking to him and kept their eyes on him a lot more than before.

As he, Jack and Flynn were making their way through the passageways, there were only few students passing them by. Hiccup heard parts of conversations from the other students that walked past them and observed their different expressions and behavior. The three of them were on their way to the owlery to send letters to their families and Hiccup had actually written quite a long letter to his dad, updating him on how everything was going, not just with him but also Rapunzel, Fishlegs, Astrid and Toothless. He had ended his letter with a bunch of questions about how things were at home, especially with the hostile tribes.

Jack once again had his arm around his shoulder as the pale teen so often did. They had both become used to it. It was sort of their little ritual now and Hiccup quite enjoyed it. It was familiar and comforting and somehow it made him feel a little less awkward, whenever the hallways were brimming with students, who were watching him as they passed him by. Apparently the other students in the castle had become so used to the sight of him and Jack that no one shot them curious looks anymore, which Hiccup was quite happy about. He had enough people staring at him, talking to him, passing him notes…so_ any_ decrease in attention was a positive thing for him.

When Hiccup suddenly spotted Wallace walking behind a small group of Slytherins, he felt the annoyance creep into his gut. As the black-haired teen saw him, his blue eyes widened for a few seconds and Hiccup sent him a chilly glare, as had become a habit for him in the last month. He had restrained himself and not punched the guy's face in after Jack was injured, but the Hufflepuff should not forget his promise…if he ever tried to hurt Jack again, he would be sorry. Wallace quickly looked away and hurried past them, a couple of books clutched tightly in his arms.

As he was listening to Jack's and Flynn's conversation about how Flynn's dad had gotten a new girlfriend, he felt quite content and smiled softly to himself. He was more well-rested than usual, his stomach was full from breakfast and he was enjoying the company of two of his friends and the usual closeness between him and Jack.

The three of them were suddenly interrupted by someone grabbing Jack's arm, causing him to stop in his tracks. The white-haired teen removed his arm from Hiccup and turned around, and Hiccup found that he instantly missed the warmth. He and Flynn quickly spun around too to find out what was going on and came face to face with a familiar Gryffindor.

Hiccup immediately recognized the girl, who was now standing in front of them, watching Jack shyly. Her name was Abbey Hewitt and she was a Gryffindor a year younger than Jack and Flynn. She was fairly tall, with straight, smooth blonde hair and deep brown eyes. She was quite pretty Hiccup had to admit reluctantly, as he had never liked her. She hadn't been very nice to him before he became popular all of the sudden, and she'd even called him some less flattering names a few times.

"Uh, Hi Jack" Abbey said softly and gave the pale teen a warm smile and a small, shy wave.

Oh for Thor's sake, Hiccup thought to himself and rolled his eyes. He immediately knew what this was, and he felt a little annoyed by it.

"Hey Abbey…what's up?" Jack replied casually and Hiccup knew from the smirk on Jack's lips, that his white-haired friend also already knew what was going on here.

Abbey wrung her hands a little and shot a nervous glance at Flynn and then at him.

"Come on, Hiccup" Flynn told him and motioned with his head for them to give Jack and Abbey a little privacy. He reluctantly followed Flynn a little further down the corridor, just enough for them not to be able to hear what the others were talking about, but close enough to still keep an eye on them. He had to admit that he didn't really like leaving Jack alone with her, even though his white-haired friend was clearly fine and could easily handle these kinds of situations.

Hiccup_ had_ noticed that lately he had become more and more annoyed not just by girls approaching himself but also those who approached Jack. He wasn't completely sure why though. Jack wasn't awkward like himself. He could definitely interact with his fangirls without any problems at all and the pale teen actually found it a little amusing, so Hiccup really shouldn't be bothered by it. That didn't quell his irritation though…but maybe it was just because it happened so often and it seemed so…shallow somehow. Most of the people who wanted to talk to both him and Jack had absolutely nothing to do with them in their daily life, so maybe Hiccup sort of viewed it as an intrusion in Jack's life as well as his own. He wasn't completely sure…he just knew that it bothered him somehow.

He sighed to himself. He had an uneasy feeling…like he was missing something that would be completely obvious once he actually figured it out. It was unfamiliar to him…he was usually very good not just at analyzing other people but also himself and his emotions.

He and Flynn waited in silence as they both observed their pale friend and the blonde girl, who had begun talking. Abbey was gesturing with her hands as she explained something to Jack and even though Hiccup couldn't see Jack's face, he was absolutely sure that the Gryffindor was being kind and attentive as usual. His white-haired friend was so confident and casual around any girl that talked to him and he always let them down in the nicest way possible.

After a few minutes of conversation between Jack and Abbey, the blonde girl smiled fondly and reached out her hand to touch Jack's arm. Hiccup felt the annoyance swirl inside him as the girl he didn't like touched his friend, but he pushed it down. He rolled his eyes at his own overprotectiveness. It was ridiculous to waste energy on such meaningless negative feelings in this kind of situation…but…Gods, he hoped that Jack would never be with someone like that…that would definitely annoy him to no end.

As Abbey and Jack finished their conversation, the pale teen gave the girl a small wave and then walked towards him and Flynn. He watched Jack approach, and when his friend was next to them again, a huge grin spread across Flynn's face.

"Sooo….what happened, Jackie?" the brunet Gryffindor asked curiously and tilted his head a little.

Jack shrugged. "She likes me" he simply stated and put his hands in the pocket of his blue hoodie.

"Oooh" Flynn said and wagged his eyebrows suggestively. "Well? Are you going do something about it?"

"Hmm, I don't know" Jack responded without much emotion in his voice. "I don't really know her very well".

Hiccup remained silent as the three of them once again walked along the hallways. Jack and Flynn began discussing the pale Gryffindor's interaction with the blonde girl. Hiccup chose not to participate in that conversation, as he was definitely biased anyway. He didn't like Abbey at all and he didn't want Jack anywhere near her. He wasn't the boss of his friend though, and he didn't want to meddle. He knew how annoying that could be, as his friends (especially Astrid) were pretty overprotective of him. Jack needed to make his own decisions, even if it might potentially annoy him.

"Hey Hic?" Jack suddenly said, pulling him out of his thoughts.

"Yeah?" he turned his head and met his friend's familiar blue eyes, while they continued to walk next to each other.

"You're awfully quiet. What's going on in there?" Jack asked with a grin that revealed those white teeth of his and he knocked a few times with a fist on the side of Hiccup's head.

"Nothing" Hiccup said dismissively and shrugged, but as the words left his mouth, he knew that his voice had sounded a little frustrated.

"I_ know_ that's not true. Something's aaaalways going on in there" Jack chuckled and smiled at him. Well, Hiccup couldn't really deny _that_…it was true that he was pretty much always thinking about something. Sometimes that could actually be a real pain, as he had trouble resting his mind.

"It's not important, Jack" he merely replied like it was no big deal, trying to get Jack to drop it. He didn't really feel like talking about his negative feelings towards the blonde Gryffindor girl.

"Aww, come on. When you say that, it's _definitely_ important" his white-haired friend shot back, tilting his head in that way of his that indicated curiosity.

"It's not really"

"Come on Hic, just tell us already" Jack insisted and nudged his shoulder.

"Yeah, just tell us" Flynn said in agreement and lifted his eyebrows, as the three of them kept walking down the corridor.

Hiccup sighed. He wasn't getting out of this.

"Fine" he began. "I just don't like Abbey" he admitted and tugged a little on one of his braids.

"What? Why?" Jack asked in confusion and observed him intently.

"Yeah, she seems so nice?" Flynn asked, sounding genuinely baffled by Hiccup's dislike of the girl.

"Yeah, well…she's not" Hiccup merely said and shrugged. He knew that the two Gryffindors were not going to be happy with that vague answer though.

"What? Has she done something to you…or?" Jack asked, immediately furrowing his brow and his blue eyes were now full of determination, as if he would keep asking Hiccup about this forever, until he got his answers.

"You could say that…" Hiccup said hesitantly and shrugged once more.

"What did she do?" Jack asked, already sounding a little annoyed by the prospect of Hiccup being bothered by someone, which made him feel quite touched. During their friendship he had definitely seen signs that Jack felt just as protective of him as he did of the white-haired teen.

"Well…let's see…she once tripped me in one of the hallways when I was still getting used to my prosthetic…much to the amusement of everyone around us…" He began to explain, keeping his voice steady, despite feeling a little nauseous in his stomach from recalling the memory. That experience had definitely been horrible for him. He had felt like such a damn, weak, pathetic creature in that moment and it had been another bruise to his ego.

"What?!" Jack blurted out angrily and in shock, narrowing his eyes.

Flynn seemed to be just as surprised, as his brown eyes had widened a little.

"Aaaand…once I was apparently in her way when she was on her way to class, so she shoved me and called me a pathetic cripple" Hiccup explained. That had definitely hurt as well…he was fairly comfortable with his missing foot now, but back then he hadn't accepted it yet, so comments like that really hit a nerve. "That's some of it".

Jack and Flynn both remained silent for a brief moment with disgusted looks on their faces, and Hiccup appreciated that they felt so strongly about what had happened between him and Abbey. They really were good friends.

"Well…I'm never talking to her again then" Jack then said determined, his brow still furrowed.

"What?" Hiccup asked him in confusion.

"Come on, don't look so surprised. I don't like jerks…and especially jerks who bother my friends...apparently she's not the nice person I thought she was" Jack explained, gesturing with his hands.

"Yeah…she always seemed so kind and patient with others…" Flynn said in contemplation, as the three of them kept walking next to each other down the corridors.

"A lot of people_ seem_ nice…" Hiccup said and trailed off. He had broken eye contact with his two Gryffindor friends, but he could feel their curious eyes on him. He didn't want to elaborate, but it was true…so many people appeared to be kind and sincere, but then…when it was more convenient_ not_ to be, they changed instantly.

After a few moments of silence, Jack and Flynn went back to discussing Flynn's dad's new girlfriend, while Hiccup remained quiet and in contemplation. When they finally reached the owlery, on top of the West tower and after climbing all of those diabolical stairs, they entered the familiar, large, drafty room. The sounds of owls hooting and the smell of straw immediately invaded his senses, as he stepped around the room trying to locate his owl.

After a few minutes of glancing around the room, taking in all the different owls, he spotted the familiar medium-sized bird. He quickly covered the distance to where his owl was resting casually on a low perch.

"Heey" he told the bird soothingly and stroked its beautiful feathers gently a few times. The face, neck, legs and stomach of the owl were covered in soft, white feathers, while the bird's back, wings and the top of the head were a reddish brown colour that always appeared orange in the sunlight.

In the background he heard Jack and Flynn locating their own owls and handing the letters to them.

"How are you doing today, buddy?" Hiccup asked the bird and it let out a soft hoot in response, causing him to smile. "Well…that's good to know".

"Talking to birds now, Hic?" he heard Jack's amused voice say from behind him. He turned his head and met the pale teen's blue eyes.

"Yeah, why not? He's a friend" Hiccup said happily and motioned to the owl.

"A friend, huh?" Jack replied with a smile tugging at the corners of his lips.

"Yup…"

"Got many animal friends?"

"A fair few…" he began. "I often like animals more than people"

"No kidding, Hic. I would have _never _guessed that" Jack said sarcastically with a grin on his face. Flynn approached them then and stood next to Jack, having apparently sent his owl off with the letter to his dad.

Hiccup rolled his eyes in response. "Case in point" he said and raised an eyebrow at Jack.

"Aww, come on now. Do you prefer that pile of feathers to all of this?" Jack said and gestured to himself.

"Oh definitely" Hiccup smirked.

Jack scoffed. "You're a terrible liar, Hic" the Gryffindor said and then grinned.

After Hiccup had sent his owl away towards Berk with the letter to his dad, the three teens descended the many steps that led down from the tower and then covered the distance to the castle entrance, where they split up. Much to Jack's disappointment he and Flynn needed to spend a few hours today studying, as they were paired up for a Potions assignment. The pale teen was whining about it all the way down the many steps from the owlery, and Hiccup couldn't keep the smile off his face. Jack was seriously amusing when he was whining and pouting over something.

Hiccup had to head in another direction than his friends, as he had promised to meet up with Merida by a secluded spot in a piece of the forest surrounding the lake to help her with her archery practice, which he was really looking forward to. When he was away from home he really missed the regular weapons- and fighting training that he and the other teens participated in on Berk. He and Fishlegs would sometimes practice a bit of hand to hand combat, but it wasn't that often and Hiccup enjoyed weapons training more.

After saying goodbye to Jack and Flynn, Hiccup briskly walked towards the lake in search of their fellow red-haired friend to enjoy some archery training. He had actually grown quite fond of Merida during the last two months and she seemed to feel the same way, as they had begun to joke around with each other quite a lot and their archery training was slowly becoming a regular thing now. They both shared an interest in weapons and fighting, and Hiccup often found himself thinking that Merida would make a really good Viking.

~~~~ Jack ~~~~

After having worked for two hours in the crowded library with Flynn on their Potions assignment, Jack's head was throbbing from the suffocating, warm air in the closed off space that was filled with students working on assignments and projects, the sounds of discussions, quills scribbling down words and parchment rustling bouncing off the walls of the old library.

He and Flynn quickly decided to hang out a bit in one of the courtyards, both needing some fresh air. Since Mavis had Frog Choir practice right now, Hiccup and Merida practiced with her bow and they had no idea where Fishlegs and Rapunzel were, they remained in the courtyard instead of going to their usual spot by the lake. There were a few students outside, sitting by the tables and benches, some of them chatting eagerly and joking around, others deep in concentration, reading and writing notes. He and Flynn found a free table and quickly slumped down on the benches. They remained there for a while, talking and laughing about all kinds of things and Jack enjoyed the one-on-one time with Flynn.

After about an hour it was time for lunch, so the two Gryffindors quickly walked along the corridors towards the Great Hall, eager to not only get some food in their bellies but also see their friends. They greeted several people they knew on their way to the Hall, and they stopped for a few minutes, when a shy Ravenclaw girl gave Flynn a note and then quickly scurried off.

Once Jack and Flynn continued towards their destination, they discussed the Quidditch practice that Jack and Merida had to go to later and what kind of drills Astrid might have them do. As they swung around a corner, they stopped dead in their tracks and immediately abandoned their conversation.

Hiccup and Rapunzel were in the middle of some kind of argument in the corridor with three Slytherins that Jack recognized but didn't know the names of. It was definitely a tense situation, as the three Slytherin boys all wore disgusted looks on their faces and had tense, rigid body language, while Hiccup had placed himself protectively in front of Rapunzel and was clenching his fists by his sides, while watching the boys with an icy glare.

"Mind your own business, Haddock" the blonde Slytherin guy spat angrily. Hiccup's eyes narrowed in a deadly manner that Jack had never seen him use before…like he wanted to kick the guy's ass, and was very close to not being able to restrain himself anymore. It was a frightening contrast to his usual calm and gentle demeanor and Jack found himself already feeling really irritated by these three Slytherins.

"This _is _my business, you idiot" Hiccup said slowly and menacingly, as he continued to glare at the boys in front of him. What the hell was going on here? What could have caused Hiccup to be this angry?

"Oh? And why is that?" the red-haired boy said with a malicious amusement in his voice, as he tilted his head in a mocking gesture and observed Hiccup. Jack felt his temper flare by the tone and the whole demeanor of those three jerks. They should _not_ be hostile to his friends.

"Because she's my friend, so you _don't_ get to bother her" Hiccup spat and crossed his arms defiantly.

The three Slytherins snickered. "And what are you going to do about it,_ loser_?" the blonde Slytherin said smugly, as he quickly took a few steps forward and shoved Hiccup violently. The brunet was pushed back a few steps, before he regained his balance.

Jack instantly felt his blood boil and he felt an overwhelming urge to punch the guy's face in. Oh _hell_ no…He did _not_ just lay his hands on Hiccup and call him a loser. Who _were_ these jerks? He motioned to Flynn who quickly nodded and they both briskly covered the short distance between them and the others. Hiccup, Rapunzel and the Slytherins all turned their heads and looked at them as they approached, and while Rapunzel practically seemed relieved to see them, Hiccup didn't change his expression and the three Slytherins observed them with a mix of confusion and annoyance. Not that Jack cared how they felt…those idiots were going to leave their friends alone now.

The two Gryffindors placed themselves protectively in front of Hiccup and Rapunzel, shielding them from the three hostile boys. It wasn't that Jack thought Hiccup couldn't obviously handle this, but…he and Flynn protected their friends. He could feel himself fuming with anger and the need to smash something (or _someone_) stirred violently inside him, and he didn't even bother hiding it as he glared at the three boys in front of them.

"What the _hell_ do you think you're doing?" Jack said angrily, narrowing his blue eyes at the Slytherins. Flynn was standing beside him with his arms crossed, and eying the boys in silent contempt.

"What do you care, _Frost_?" the blonde Slytherin asked in annoyance and put his hands on his hips in a defiant gesture. The guy's two Slytherin friends were watching Jack and Flynn with narrowed eyes. They were obviously trying to intimidate them, but _that_ wasn't going to work. Jack would never back down, as long as someone bothered his friends and he knew that Flynn felt the same way.

"Just leave them alone from now on, _jerk_" Jack hissed and crossed his arms, while continuing to glare daggers at them.

"Oh really? And what if we _don't_?" the blonde boy asked in an obvious challenge, raising one of his eyebrows. His two friends snickered at that.

"Then you're going to have a _serious_ problem with _us_" Jack spat and motioned to him and Flynn with one hand. Flynn hummed in agreement next to him to show his support, and continued to watch the Slytherins with disdain in his usually warm brown eyes.

The three boys glared at them but hesitated for a little while, obviously considering whether or not it was worth getting into an argument and potentially a fight with Jack and Flynn. Jack was hoping that they would just back down, but…if they didn't he would be mentally prepared. He wasn't experienced in fighting like Hiccup was, but he didn't consider himself weak and helpless either.

There were a few moments of tense, heavy silence between the seven teens, before the blonde Slytherin suddenly cleared his throat.

He shot Jack and Flynn a deadly glare, before gesturing to the two others to follow him, as he turned and began to walk away down the corridor. Jack felt relieved that the conflict ended there.

When the three Slytherins had created a little distance between them and Jack and his friends, the blonde one spun around quickly and narrowed his eyes at Jack.

"Your new friends are _freaks_, Frost" he spat angrily, shooting daggers at him and then at Hiccup and Rapunzel, who were still standing slightly behind Jack and Flynn.

"I know, they're great, right?" Jack beamed happily, his whole face lighting up. Flynn chuckled next to him.

The blonde Slytherin was clearly thrown off by his obvious enthusiasm and his positive association with the word "freak", and he observed Jack for a few moments with confusion evident in his stupid little grey eyes. Then he turned around once more, his two goons following him, and they disappeared down the stone corridor.

Jack and Flynn both glared after them for a few moments, before turning around to face Hiccup and Rapunzel. The blonde girl had a defeated look in her green eyes that looked so unfamiliar on her that Jack was slightly taken aback at first. Hiccup was clearly fuming on the inside with anger, his jaw clenched and his arms crossed in frustration.

"Are you okay, guys?" Flynn asked gently with obvious concern in his brown eyes. Moments like this just confirmed to Jack that his friends were beginning to think of the three Ravenclaws as their friends too and that thought made him feel warm inside.

"Yeah…." Rapunzel said quietly and uncertainly, as she shuffled her feet a little. She still didn't meet their eyes.

"What was all that about?" Jack asked curiously, looking at Hiccup for an explanation. He was genuinely confused as to why those Slytherins would be bothering his two friends. Had something in particular happened or was this a regular occurrence?

Rapunzel continued to avoid eye contact, and Hiccup quickly glanced at her with obvious concern in his green eyes, before focusing on Jack and Flynn.

"They were bothering Rapunzel, calling her stupid names. Those three have always had it out for her for some reason" Hiccup explained, his brow furrowed and not able to hide the frustration in his voice.

"What? That's ridiculous!" Jack said outraged. Rapunzel was such a nice, caring person. She didn't deserve to be stepped on by some mean, pathetic idiots.

"Yeah, what's their problem?" Flynn asked in obvious irritation and crossed his arms. His brunet friend seemed to have become protective of Hiccup and Rapunzel as well.

"I have no idea…for some reason they've always disliked Rapunzel's bubbly personality" Hiccup said, now sounding quite tired and sighed deeply. Jack observed his brunet friend for a few moments. Hiccup had probably had to deal with those jerks for years and that was what caused his tiredness. That thought made the anger swirl inside him and if he ever saw those three Slytherins bothering them again, he would definitely be _furious_.

"What are their names?" Flynn asked, tilting his head slightly. Jack wanted to know this as well for future reference.

"Jarvis, Know and Kinney" Hiccup replied. Jack remembered having heard Hiccup mention those names before in annoyance, and he made sure to file them away in the archive of his brain. He might need the information at some point, if they bothered Rapunzel and Hiccup again. _No one _bothered his friends.

"Well, tell us if they ever bother you again" Jack said and was unable to keep the annoyance out of his voice. He still couldn't believe what those jerks had said to Hiccup and Rapunzel and that one of them had even shoved Hiccup.

"Jack, we can take care of it" Hiccup told him dismissively.

"I'm aware of that Hic, but I still want to know about it. Friends protect each other, right?" He told his brunet friend. He knew that Hiccup could take care of both himself and Rapunzel, but…they shouldn't have to now that they were friends with Jack and the others. It's always easier to fight your battles if you have the support of friends.

"Yeah, you're right…" Hiccup replied quietly and a small smile graced the Ravenclaw's lips.

Jack turned to Rapunzel, who was still looking at the ground, obviously sad and uncomfortable.

"Rapunzel, don't let them get to you. They're just pathetic jerks, who need to be cruel to others to make themselves feel just a little better about their miserable lives…you're a great person, so don't listen to anything they say" Jack said softly and placed a pale finger tentatively under Rapunzel's chin and lifted it upwards to get her to face him. The blonde lifted her head and when her eyes met Jack's, she gave him a hesitant but warm smile.

"Thanks Jack" she said genuinely and her green eyes were filled with appreciation.

"Any time" he replied and shot her a bright smile. He had quickly grown quite fond of Rapunzel and her bubbly personality and he did_ not_ want to let mean idiots get her down.

Rapunzel then moved and hesitantly closed the gap between them and wrapped her arms around him in a quick hug. He stiffened at first, surprised by the action, but then he put his own arms around the blonde girl and hugged her back, feeling quite touched by the gesture.

When they pulled apart, Rapunzel was smiling warmly at him, and as Jack looked at Hiccup, the brunet's eyes had softened and a faint, warm smile was tugging his lips upwards.

"Come on, let's get some food" Jack then said and the three other teens all agreed to that without hesitation, so they began walking towards the Great Hall for lunch. On their way they quickly became engulfed in conversation and Jack told Rapunzel and Hiccup how he had Quidditch training later and was dreading what drills Astrid would have in store for them. They also agreed to meet up later by their usual spot by the lake. As they walked through the corridors, Jack slung his arm around Hiccup's shoulder and hoped that the familiar, friendly gesture would comfort his brunet friend a little after the tense encounter he had just had with the three Slytherins. It seemed to work as Hiccup turned his head and gave him a warm smile, and it made Jack feel happy inside that he could get his friend to smile like that again.

~~~~ Hiccup ~~~~

After lunch, Hiccup had spent some time with Fishlegs and Rapunzel in the library, listening to the two of them discussing and working on homework for Magical History, while he kept himself occupied by sketching. He was leaning back in his chair, carefully working on the shadowing on the Gryffindor's face in the drawing. He had begun working on it yesterday, when he and Jack were hanging out together, just doing some quiet study time. During one of their breaks, Jack had been leaning against one of the huge, ancient oak trees and closed his eyes for a little while, just enjoying the quiet, peaceful surroundings. Hiccup had begun sketching him, much to Jack's amusement when he discovered it. It was the first sketch he'd ever done of Jack, but it made sense to draw him. After all, his sketchbook was filled with drawings of his other friends, so why not Jack?

After enjoying their quiet time in the library, the three Ravenclaws exited the castle and walked across the wet grass, heading for the lake to meet up with their Gryffindor friends. The air was pleasantly cool and crisp, and the gentle autumn sun was shining while a few soft, wisps of clouds were scattered across the blue sky. Rapunzel was entertaining him and Fishlegs with a story, as they walked next to each other, Hiccup with an arm around Rapunzel, as they sometimes had a habit of doing, when suddenly an object went flying through the air and hit Hiccup right in the face, drenching it in cold water. He stopped dead in his tracks. The cool liquid trickled down his skin and he was left genuinely confused for a few moments. What the…? He blinked a few times, trying to get his vision to focus again after being slightly irritated by the water and then rubbed his eyes with a sleeve. Fishlegs and Rapunzel were both giggling next to him, obviously amused by this attack on him. Traitors…When his vision was no longer blurred, he quickly looked down at the remains of the item that had hit him…a water balloon?

He lifted his head and his green eyes darted across his surroundings. He quickly located a familiar head of white hair belonging to Jack, and he was grinning brightly at him, clearly amused by this, and with his hands on his hips in an obvious challenge.

"You!" Hiccup yelled, pretending to be angry and pointed his finger at him.

"Me?" Jack asked innocently with his eyebrows raised and gestured to himself, like he had no idea what Hiccup was talking about.

"You!" He repeated. "You devious little snowflake!"

"Awww, come on now, Hic. Can't a tough Viking like yourself handle a little water?" Jack said teasingly and his face split into a huge grin.

Oh that pale jerk, Hiccup thought to himself with laughter in his eyes and then he made a decision. Jack was_ not_ going to get away with this.

He instantly took off, rushing towards Jack, who turned around and ran away from him to avoid retribution, the white-haired teen's airy laughter echoing through the crisp autumn air.

Jack had a pretty serious head start and as Hiccup chased him the Gryffindor glanced over his shoulder once in a while to see how far behind he was, while they both continued to sprint across the wet grass towards the lake.

As they quickly reached the water, he spotted Flynn, Merida and Mavis sitting on a blanket. Next to them was a little pile of colourful filled water balloons. Apparently that was why Jack was running this way, and Hiccup felt a grin spread across his face. This was _definitely_ going to turn into a war.

The Gryffindor immediately stopped by the pile, grabbed several of the waterballoons and stuffed them into the pocket of his blue hoodie. Then he instantly took off again, running across the wet grass, eager to put distance between him and Hiccup. Hiccup quickly stocked his own pockets with the watery ammunition when he reached it, while Flynn, Merida and Mavis all chuckled in amusement, and then he followed his pale friend as fast as he possibly could. Jack was _so_ going to pay for this.

"Get back here, Snowball!" he yelled, watching Jack's head of white hair while chasing him swiftly, trying to catch up with him and attack him with the ammunition he now had in his pockets.

"NEVER!" he heard Jack's voice yell defiantly, before the prankster's familiar bubbly laughter once again traveled through the air, reaching his ears and making him chuckle.

"I_ will_ have my revenge!" Hiccup shouted to him, as he willed his legs to carry him faster towards the mischievous Gryffindor.

"You'll never catch me, clumsy foot!" Jack shot back without stopping or turning around, and Hiccup felt a grin spread across his face at Jack's translation of his old norse nickname.

They both ran across the ground around the lake, their swift footsteps leaving imprints in the moist, soft grass, Hiccup chasing Jack for several minutes. Jack's happy laughter continued to escape the pale teen, and Hiccup couldn't contain his own laughter either. This was _a lot _of fun and he was intent on beating Jack at this, getting his revenge. _No one_ attacks a Viking and gets away with it just like that. In moments like these he found himself truly appreciating Jack's childish, carefree nature. It was amazing how he always managed to bring joy and laughter into other people's lives, and he found himself being grateful that he was now one of these people.

When Jack was suddenly turning left, dodging a few large rocks by the side of the lake, Hiccup could see his face for a few brief moments and decided to quickly launch an attack. He threw a purple waterballoon through the air and expertly hit Jack right in the face. Jack groaned and wiped his eyes with his hands, but it didn't stop the Gryffindor, as he kept on rushing away from him.

"Served you right, Snowflake!" he yelled tauntingly.

"Whatever dragon boy! One hit doesn't mean you win" he heard Jack's voice shout.

"Count on it, Frosty, I'm planning to take you _down_!"

After jumping over a log, Jack stopped and turned around for the briefest of moments and threw a blue waterballoon towards Hiccup. It hit him in the chest, drenching his shirt and he felt the cold water soak through the fabric and leave a cooling sensation on his skin. Then Jack flashed him a huge grin and quickly ran away, not wasting any time. That pale snow-loving idiot was actually pretty fast, Hiccup thought to himself in amusement.

After about ten minutes of running back and forth, throwing several water balloons at each other, both Jack's and Hiccup's clothes were drenched in the cold liquid. Despite Hiccup's high tolerance of cold, he was beginning to get goosebumps on his skin from the combination of the chilly water and the crisp, cold autumn air. The act of running helped keep him from actually shivering though. His soaked clothes were heavy on him and clung to him like a second skin in a sticky, annoying way. The fabric dripped tiny droplets on the ground, as he swiftly followed the Gryffindor, still eager to beat him at this.

During their little waterballoon fight they had managed move away from their friends and were now sprinting around by themselves, shooting insults at each other and throwing those small watery weapons while becoming more and more breathless from running and laughing so much. Hiccup was definitely better at this than Jack, as he managed to dodge and avoid a lot more of the snow-haired teen's attacks than the other way around. He was also a lot more accurate with his throws, and that definitely had something to do with his weapons training. That came in handy in situations like this.

Jack suddenly decided to run around a massive tree and Hiccup continued to chase him. He had an idea though and he chose to turn and run the other way around to catch Jack by surprise. The Gryffindor wasn't quick enough to do an evasive maneuver, so they instantly crashed into each other and fell backwards onto the wet grass, limbs entangled.

It took Hiccup a few seconds to register what had just happened and he blinked a couple of times. He instantly felt very self-conscious when he realized that Jack was lying on top of him, their chests against each other and their faces incredibly close. So close that he could feel Jack's warm breath on his skin, as the pale teen inhaled and exhaled erratically from all the running. Their chests rose and fell quickly against each other and their wet, sticky clothes were clinging together.

They stared at each other for a few moments. Confused green eyes met equally confused blue ones. It felt like time was standing still and Hiccup could feel his heart pounding.

Then his mind suddenly began working again, and he found that he really needed to pull himself out of this weird moment. Now.

"Uhmm, Jack?" He said uncertainly, breaking the silence between them.

"Yeah…I know" Jack replied, sounding a lot more calm and immediately beginning to move.

They both quickly scrambled to their feet, their wet shirts sticking slightly together as they pulled apart, causing Hiccup to feel a slight chill as some of the skin on his stomach was exposed, before his shirt once again clung on him. When there was some distance between them again, Hiccup instantly felt his cheeks burn and he didn't meet Jack's eyes. His reaction to this confused him. Why was he blushing now? Yes, it was clearly pretty embarrassing crashing into someone and landing like_ that_ and it had been weird…but even so…it was just Jack, there was no reason for him to be embarrassed around him. Jack _knew _that he was an awkward person and accepted him for it.

He was probably totally overthinking this as usual…it was most likely just his massive self-consciousness and inability to feel comfortable in his own skin that messed with him…Yeah, that made sense…After all, he was pretty much the master of feeling awkward and weird.

"I think I've got a bruise now" Jack said, pulling him out of his thoughts.

"Yeah, me too" he replied and met Jack's eyes, as the pale Gryffindor observed him. Jack didn't seem too affected by their little crash.

"We should probably coordinate our moves better next time" Jack chuckled and brushed some blades of grass off one of his sleeves.

"Next time? Are you planning to ambush me again?" Hiccup asked him with one raised eyebrow. Not that he would mind. This waterballoon fight had been so much fun, with the obvious exception of the weird ending.

"Definitely…maybe not with water balloons, but…definitely" Jack smirked evilly and rubbed his hands together, as if he was scheming something. Which he probably was.

"Good to know. I should be hyper-aware at all times then"

"Please, like you could ever prepare yourself from one of my brilliant attacks. I'm like a freakin' ninja" Jack shot back and waved a hand in a dismissive gesture.

Hiccup just shook his head in amusement at that. He loved Jack's smug attitude, it was just too entertaining.

They both quickly agreed to go back to their respective dormitories and get a shower and a change of clothes, seeing as they were both drenched and beginning to feel a little cold…even Jack, who was practically immune to it.

They made their way back in silence, and they quickly waved to their friends, as they passed them by and Jack shouted that they needed a change of clothes. The other teens all grinned and waved at them in response, as Jack and Hiccup continued to walk towards the castle. They didn't really speak but only smiled at each other as they parted inside the castle and went their separate ways towards their dormitories.

After a quick but nice, warm shower and a change of clothes, Hiccup once again made his way towards the lake to spend time with his friends. His long-sleeved dark green shirt felt soft and comfortable on his skin, enveloping him in a nice warmth and his Converse shoes scraped across the wet ground, bending the green blades of grass under them.

As he neared the lake, the other teens came into view and he immediately spotted that familiar head of white hair that belonged to Jack. Apparently the prankster had been quicker than him in showering and changing clothes. The six teens were talking and laughing together, and when the two Ravenclaws and four Gryffindors spotted him as he approached, they all smiled warmly.

"Hey guys" he said to everyone and waved a little, before sitting down next to Rapunzel.

"Nice and dry now?" the blonde girl asked with an amused grin and Fishlegs chuckled a little next to her.

"Yeah. It's not every day you get ambushed with water balloons" Hiccup replied with a happy smirk.

"You had it coming, Viking boy" Jack grinned widely and put his hands in the pocket of a dark blue hoodie that resembled his favourite one but without the frost pattern.

"What!? why?" he asked the Gryffindor, pretending to be outraged. He glanced at the other teens who were giggling a little at his outburst.

"Well…just by existing really…" Jack said without much emotion and shrugged.

"Wow, that's harsh, _snær flekkr_. I didn't know my existence was_ such_ a burden" Hiccup shot back with a faint trace of a smile on his lips.

"Oh it totally is, but…I can handle it"

"I _seriously _doubt that"

"What? A Viking is too much to handle for the guardian of fun?" Jack asked as if it was the most ridiculous thing he had ever heard, and the other teens chuckled at the comment.

"The guardian of…seriously, Jack?" Hiccup asked skeptically and raised an eyebrow.

"Yup" Jack said happily and ran a hand through his snow-white hair, clearly content with that self-assigned name.

"You actually gave_ yourself_ a title?" he asked the pale teen in amusement. That was just typical Jack he thought to himself with a certain fondness.

"Of course. Someone as awesome as me can't go through life without a title to match, you know"

"Just a _tad _pretentious, don't you think, Snowball?"

"Actually "awesome" is the word that comes to mind" Jack replied, as if he was correcting an obvious mistake and their friends giggled at that.

"You're unbelievable, _snær flekkr_" Hiccup said and rolled his green eyes but was unable to keep a small smile from appearing on his lips.

"I know, right?" Jack grinned, as if it was a compliment…which it sort of was, but Hiccup wasn't going to admit that when they were bantering. "You should have a title too, Viking boy" Jack then added.

"Oh no…I_ really_ don't want that"

Jack hummed for a few moments in contemplation, as if he was trying to come up with a title for him.

"No, Jack. Just no" Hiccup said firmly, but with amusement evident in his green eyes.

"Well, you _could_ be appointed the guardian of awkwardness?" Jack asked with an amused smirk.

"I don't think someone actually needs to guard_ that_" Hiccup retorted dryly and their friends all chuckled.

~~~~ Jack ~~~~

The seven teens were continuing to enjoy themselves, talking and laughing together by the lake that was gleaming in the mild autumn sunlight. Jack felt calm and content as he took in sounds of the gentle rustling of the treetops, the birds chirping and the eager, bubbly voice of Rapunzel, as she was telling him and the others a story about how Hiccup, Fishlegs and her had once snuck out of Ravenclaw Tower at night in their second year to go exploring around the castle.

As Jack observed the crooked smile on Hiccup's lips, he briefly thought about the weird ending their waterballoon fight had had. He was genuinely relieved that the tension between them had quickly disappeared again, but the whole thing still left him confused. His mind had gone completely blank as they were lying there and staring into each other's eyes. That fairly brief moment had seemed like an eternity, and when Jack's mind began working again, he had sort of become very awkward and embarrassed, and when they finally managed to pull away from each other and get to their feet, Jack had definitely felt a blush creep into the pale skin on his cheeks and Hiccup was very careful to avoid eye contact for a while. It was…weird. Jack usually didn't feel embarrassed or self-conscious like that, and he and Hiccup were generally so comfortable around each other…like they'd been friends for years. But on the other hand…two guys lying on top of each other like _that_ in combination with Hiccup's awkward personality that seemed to make the guy uncomfortable about _a lot _of things…maybe it wasn't so strange that Jack had become a little flustered too?

He was pulled out of his thoughts, as the other teens stopped their conversation and turned their heads towards something. Jack followed their gazes and was surprised to see Astrid approaching them in the distance, her blonde braid resting on her right shoulder and holding a couple of books under one arm. She was wearing a dark brown skirt, dark blue wooly tights, and a long sleeved V-neck red shirt that clung tightly to her, as well as brown boots with fur on them. Like Hiccup, Fishlegs and Jack, she didn't wear a jacket yet, even though it was the end of October and the autumn air was brisk and chilly.

As she came nearer, Jack glanced at Hiccup and saw him smiling fondly at his blonde friend. He knew that Astrid and Hiccup didn't spend as much time together as they wanted to, mostly due to Astrid's busy schedule.

When the blonde Viking girl had covered the distance between them, she said "Hi guys" with a friendly smile on her lips. They all quickly greeted her in return with "Hi's" and "Hey's".

"I was just going to read for a while down here and I saw you guys, so I thought I'd just say hi" Astrid explained.

"Do you want to stay and hang out?" Mavis asked her genuinely and gestured to the blankets they were all sitting on.

"Uhmm, I don't know, I _do _kind of have some homework to catch up on…" Astrid said a little uncertainly, as if she was weighing her options. She quickly glanced at the shimmering lake next to them.

"Aww, come on Astrid" Hiccup said encouragingly and tilted his head a little.

Apparently that was enough to convince the blonde Viking girl whose lips quirked in a warm smile. Then she nodded before sitting down next to Hiccup and placing the books on the blanket. She turned her head towards the brunet and seemed to be examining him for a few moments.

"Your braids are almost all undone" Astrid stated, observing Hiccup's brown locks. Jack trained his eyes on the braids and found that she was right. They were almost completely unraveled.

"Oh?" Hiccup replied questioningly, focusing his green eyes on his friend. "Well, it's been a while since I did them and…I sort of got into a water balloon fight with Jack" the Ravenclaw explained in amusement with a smile tugging at his lips.

Astrid quickly glanced at Jack and he smirked in response. Then she turned her head and smiled fondly at Hiccup, while shaking her head a little, clearly finding it funny.

The blonde Viking girl scooted a little closer to the brunet and reached out her hands towards him. Hiccup didn't move but just observed her quietly. She let one hand glide gently through the side of the Ravenclaw's hair in a movement that seemed strangely affectionate, before redoing the two small braids carefully. Jack somehow found himself feeling really irritated by this and he wished that Astrid would just _stop_ doing that, but he wasn't sure why. Maybe it was because she sometimes seemed so…possessive of Hiccup. Like he was her property or something. The way she was always touching him in different ways…He hadn't noticed it before he and Hiccup became friends, but now he seemed to always notice it.

As Astrid removed her hands from Hiccup's hair again, she smiled at him in obvious affection and Hiccup returned the gesture, a soft smile quirking the corners of his lips and his green eyes softening. Jack frowned, as he observed the interaction. Geez…in moments like this, it practically seemed like they were dating, even though he knew they weren't.

"_Þǫkk*_" Hiccup told Astrid softly and Jack didn't have to be able to speak old norse to figure out that it meant "thanks".

Astrid just smiled fondly in return.

"So Astrid…we haven't been able to really talk for a while" Mavis started, a slight hint of disappointment in her voice. Jack knew that his black-haired friend didn't spend as much time with Astrid as she wanted to, whereas he and Merida saw the blonde Viking girl more often as they had Quidditch practice together. Like earlier today. "How's everything?" Mavis added with genuine interest.

Astrid turned her head and watched the black-haired girl with friendliness in her blue eyes. "Yeah, I know…I've been really busy…you know, developing new strategies for the Quidditch team, actual Quidditch training, homework, classes, friends, prefect duties…It's all sort of been piling up lately" the blonde girl finished, seeming a little remorseful about that.

"Well, that's understandable. You always have so much stuff going on" Mavis said almost in amusement. "Maybe you should lighten the load a little, before you wear yourself out"

"Like that will ever happen" Hiccup said sarcastically, and Astrid instantly nudged his shoulder playfully.

"Hey, I'm not that bad" Astrid protested and then punched Hiccup on the arm, which caused some of the other teens to chuckle.

"Oh yes you are" Hiccup replied in amusement, as he rubbed his arm where Astrid had hit him. "You're constantly doing all kinds of stuff without any real breaks. You're probably the most energetic person I've ever met"

"Oh please…you should talk. Back home you're always doing _something_, and you're up at dawn and gone the whole morning before anyone else even realizes that the sun is up"

Okay…what was Astrid talking about? Jack thought to himself. Why was Hiccup gone the whole morning every day? That seemed…strange. More secrets. He sighed a little to himself.

"Well, I have stuff to do…and I like being gone the whole morning. It gives me time to think" Hiccup explained with a flicker of a smile on his lips.

"Yeah I know that, Hiccup" Astrid said knowingly. "I'm just saying you're pretty bad yourself" she added with a smirk.

"Fine, you win" Hiccup said defeated but with a small smile and crossed his arms.

"I aaaalways do" Astrid grinned in response.

"That's just not true" Hiccup shot back with one eyebrow raised in amusement.

"Oh really? When am I _not_ right?"

"Remember when you made the yak nog and insisted it was great?" Fishlegs interjected with a grin on his face.

"Yes…?" Astrid said hesitantly, her brow furrowed, clearly not really liking where this was going.

"That was a dark time…" Hiccup said grimly, causing the other teens to laugh and Astrid to punch him on the arm once again. Geez, she really liked to communicate with Hiccup through a mix of affection and violence…but maybe it was a Viking thing.

Jack's attention was pulled towards Merida, as the red-head rummaged through one of her pockets and then took out a packet of Bertie Bott's every flavour beans and quickly began eating the content.

"Geez Red, haven't you had enough food for today? You practically ate for five at lunch" Flynn asked in obvious amusement, as he observed their red-haired friend, who _never_ seemed to be full.

"Shut it, Rider. I eat what and when I want to" Merida shot back.

"You better stay out of it, Flynn" Jack warned his friend with a grin. "Nothing comes between Mer and food"

"True" Flynn replied. "We're pretty lucky she hasn't tried to eat _us_ yet"

"Yeah, well…I wouldn't be surprised. A lot of things disappear into that black hole over here" Jack said and pointed to the curly-haired girl, who instantly stopped throwing candy into her mouth and narrowed her eyes at him.

"What…did you just call me?" Merida asked threateningly and the other teens around them chuckled.

Jack's face split into a huge grin. "I'm just saying there's probably more things lost forever inside that stomach of yours than in the Bermuda triangle".

Merida immediately got to her feet in a few quick movements to get to him and Jack already knew what she was going to do. He scrambled to his feet without wasting any time and ran to Hiccup and crouched a little behind him, while gripping the Ravenclaw's shoulders, using him as a human shield against the red-haired girl. He did_ not_ want to get a tickle attack from Merida.

"Oh, _really_ Jack? You're going to sacrifice _my_ life to save yourself?" Hiccup asked, pretending to be offended but with obvious amusement lacing his slightly nasal voice.

"Think of it as an honor, Hic. We'll always remember your brave actions"

"Using me as a human shield is _not_ an honor, Snowflake"

"Back off, you evil Scot! I have a Viking to protect me!" Jack called out to Merida, whose face instantly changed from threatening to amused, a happy grin gracing her lips.

"Oh really, Frosty? I'm not so sure Hiccup _wants_ to put his own safety on the line for you" the curly-haired girl retorted and put her hands on her hips, still standing up and obviously considering if and when she could launch her tickle attack.

"What? Of course he will!" Jack said as if any other scenario was completely absurd.

"I _really_ won't" Hiccup interjected dryly.

"Shush, you don't know what you're talking about, you're obviously confused" Jack said and punched Hiccup gently on the shoulder, while still standing behind him.

"I'm _really_ not" The Viking stated and Jack could practically sense the amused smirk on Hiccup's face, despite not being able to see it.

"Didn't I just say "shush", Hic?

"You should just surrender to her and get it over with, Jack. You can't possibly win this"

"I'll never surrender!" Jack said defiantly and gripped the Ravenclaw's shoulders a little tighter.

"Jack, what happened the last time you didn't listen to me?" Hiccup asked in obvious amusement.

"I don't remember" he replied, although he remembered it vividly.

"Oh yes you do. What happened?" Hiccup demanded and even though Jack couldn't see his friend's face right now, he was absolutely sure that the brunet was loving this.

"I might…have gotten drunk on diabolically delicious Viking booze" Jack admitted and rubbed the back of his head a few times.

"And?" Hiccup asked.

"And…ended up with a massive hangover the next day" he said reluctantly.

"That's putting it mildly. You were hugging the toilet and moaning the whole day like you were dying" Flynn said and grinned at his friend. The other teens giggled.

"Well Hic obviously put something in it that poisoned me!" Jack shot back. He was_ not_ going to admit that he couldn't handle the alcohol without a _very_ good reason.

"Right" Hiccup drawled. "Except that I drank it too"

"Well, maybe it's a poison that Vikings are immune to?" Jack shot back, as if that was a genuine possibility.

"If there_ was_ such a poison I would have definitely used it"

"Wow, Snowman…Hiccup really wants to protect you, huh?" Merida interjected and raised an eyebrow.

"You can have him" Hiccup said dryly and without hesitation, causing Jack to slap him gently on the top of the head.

"Shut up Hic, you're totally ruining our dramatic stand off with the enemy"

"You mean, your cowardly stand off with her?" Hiccup retorted, clearly finding it funny.

"Be quiet, Viking boy. When you signed that contract to be my friend, you agreed to protect me from evil Scots who like to launch tickle attacks" Jack stated matter-of-factly.

"I really don't remember signing anything, Snowcone"

"You're a heavy sleeper, let's just leave it at that" Jack replied with a grin and his friends all chuckled.

"Well, you've convinced me, Frosty. It's_ obvious_ that Hiccup is just _too_ eager to risk his own safety for you, so…I'll find another time to ambush you…When you least expect it" Merida said in amusement and sat back down on the blanket.

"Yes, it worked!" Jack said happily and jumped in triumph. "Attack averted…thanks Hic"

"Don't mention it, Snowflake" Hiccup said sarcastically but with a faint trace of a smile quirking his lips.

Jack laughed at that and ruffled Hiccup's hair in an affectionate gesture, letting his hands linger in the Ravenclaw's soft locks a little, before walking back to his previous position and sitting down on the blanket once again. He quickly felt Astrid's intense eyes on him and when he met her gaze, those sky blue eyes seemed almost…disapproving?

What? So he couldn't even touch Hiccup, without her becoming all overprotective of the brunet? Jack felt a childish defiance swirl inside him at that thought. Well, she certainly wasn't going to dictate how he acted around the Ravenclaw. As long as Hiccup was fine with his friendly touches, he would keep doing it_ whenever_ he felt like it.

He continued to look straight into Astrid's eyes, not wanting to break the eye contact first, while he listened with one ear to the conversation that was now taking place between Merida and Hiccup, where his red-haired friend told the Ravenclaw that she was planning on getting up early tomorrow to go practice with her bow. The moment seemed to stretch on between him and Astrid, as they kept watching each other intently. This was clearly some kind of weird contest taking place, and Jack was definitely _not _going to lose.

Luckily he didn't, as Hiccup suddenly nudged Astrid's shoulder, causing the blonde to break eye contact with Jack and focus on her brunet friend.

"What?" the blonde asked him, aware that she had been absent-minded.

"I just told Merida about that bow I made for you last year. It's pretty similar to the one I made for her, except for the woodtype and the different carvings" Hiccup told his Viking friend with a small smile gracing his lips.

Astrid's eyes seemed to light up at the mention of this. "Oh. Yes. I'd actually love to see the bow Hiccup made for you some time, Merida" Astrid told the red-haired Gryffindor, who nodded eagerly in response. "And you can see the one he made for me" she finished.

"What? You brought it here?" Hiccup asked her, his brow furrowed in confusion. "You know you're not supposed to bring weapons here"

"Come on, Hiccup, you know how much I love that bow" the blonde girl explained as if it was obvious. Jack frowned. There seemed to be something more behind that statement, but he couldn't figure it out.

"True" Hiccup agreed. "You practically practice with it every day back home"

"Yeah, well…it's the best bow I've ever had" Astrid said with warmth lacing her voice and Hiccup's eyes softened at the compliment.

"Maybe you could make a new Smoker for me soon, Hiccup?" Fishlegs suddenly asked, interrupting the tender moment between Astrid and Hiccup. Not that Jack minded that.

"What's wrong with the one I made you like six months ago?" Hiccup asked in confusion, as he observed his heavy Viking friend.

"Ummm…" Fishlegs started sheepishly and rubbed the back of his neck. "Ruffnut sort of…broke it". Jack chuckled at that and felt very confused at the same time.

"What?" Hiccup asked, while Astrid shook her head. "How?"

"Wait…what's a Smoker?" Merida asked, voicing the thoughts that all the Gryffindor's were probably thinking right now, her blue eyes brimming with confusion.

"It's a sword with a built-in function that makes smoke seep out all around it" Hiccup explained, gesturing with his hands. Well, that was…interesting, Jack thought to himself, although he wondered what good that would do.

"What's the purpose of that?" Mavis interjected with obvious curiosity in her blue eyes.

"It's mostly just for show to scare enemies, although…if you use it the right way, you can distract your opponent by making their vision irritated as you're fighting them" Hiccup explained. Then he turned to Fishlegs. "I'll make you a new one when I can. Just keep it away from Ruffnut and Tuffnut…not to mention Snotlout".

Flynn burst out laughing at that, while Merida and Mavis giggled. Jack found himself chuckling, even though Hiccup _had_ told him about the two mischievous twins with the weird names and his cousin with the even weirder name. An amused smile graced Hiccup's lips, as he had probably figured out why they were laughing.

"Seriously?" Flynn asked, his brown eyes a little wide in surprise. "Ruffnut, Tuffnut and Snotlout?"

"Yup" Fishlegs said with a happy smile on his face.

"_Snotlout_?" Merida asked in slight disbelief.

"Yeah. He's my cousin actually. Not too lucky with the name" Hiccup explained, gesturing with his hands as he observed the red-head.

"Oh really, Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III?" Rapunzel said in amusement with raised eyebrows.

Hiccup instantly groaned. "You _know_ I hate it when you use my full name"

Jack burst out laughing, soon joined by Flynn.

"That's your full name?!" Jack exclaimed with his eyes wide in amusement. Hiccup had never told him _that_. That was seriously weird, not to mention hilarious.

"See what you've done now?" Hiccup asked Rapunzel and gestured to Jack.

"Horrendous…seriously, who names their kid that?" Jack continued, throwing his hands in the air. This was_ great_ stuff for future banter.

"Rapunzel…you owe me now…you've handed over a huge load of ammunition to…that!" Hiccup said and pointed at Jack. Not that he was wrong…Jack was definitely going to be using this piece of information to tease Hiccup.

"Come on Horrendous, don't be like that" He smirked, causing his Gryffindor friends to giggle a little.

"Aaaand it's already begun. Oh joy" Hiccup said sarcastically and rolled his eyes.

As the hours ticked by, the group of teens slowly split up. Astrid was the first to leave. She told them that she really needed to get some homework done, now that she'd spent some time hanging out. Jack didn't mind her absence at all, as it had been slightly tense having her once again being overprotective of Hiccup. About half an hour after Rapunzel and Fishlegs decided to leave as well, wanting to work on a Magical History assignment. That left him and Hiccup with Mavis, Flynn and Merida and they spent some more time together, laughing and joking around until his three friends decided to retreat to the common room for a while before dinner.

As he and Hiccup were partners on a Transfiguration assignment, they had decided to stick around by the lake a little while longer and quickly discuss what it should contain. Hiccup rummaged through his satchel looking for parchment and his quill to jot down some notes, so they would remember what they had agreed on. He pulled out his sketchbook, some charcoal pencils and a book from his satchel and placed them on the blanket, so to better be able to actually locate the things he was looking for in the bag. He quickly found the items he had been searching for and scribbled down what they had decided to do with the assignment.

When they were both satisfied with the plans they'd made, they agreed to begin working on it on Monday after classes. Hiccup gently packed his things back into his black satchel, except for the sketchbook and pencils, which he placed in one of his pockets. They both got to their feet and agreed to head towards the castle.

When Hiccup turned around and began walking, the familiar, worn brown sketchbook fell out of the brunet's pocket, without the guy even noticing it. Apparently it had been a bit too large to fit properly in there. Jack quickly bent down and picked it up and without thinking twice about it, he glanced at the drawing on the open page. His eyes widened in awe. On the paper, a sleek, mighty black dragon with captivating green eyes stared back at him with a fierce look of determination. The drawing was incredibly detailed, every scale drawn with obvious commitment and Jack once again found himself appreciating Hiccup's artistic talent. This was amazing.

"Hey Hic" he called out and the Ravenclaw stopped in his tracks and turned around.

"Yeah?" he asked curiously, tilting his head a little.

"You dropped this" Jack said and held up the sketchbook.

Hiccup quickly covered the distance between them, and was now standing right in front of Jack, observing him tentatively with those forest-green eyes.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to look, it was open on this page when I picked it up" Jack explained, wanting Hiccup to know that he wasn't trying to pry.

Hiccup's eyes softened as he noticed the drawing Jack had been studying. Jack felt a subtle warmth spread inside him, as he observed the gentle, affectionate look in the brunet's green eyes.

"That's Toothless" Hiccup said softly and motioned with his head towards the sketchbook that was still clutched in Jack's hands and open on the page with the large, black dragon.

"Is he…your dragon?" he asked gently, not sure if he was pushing Hiccup too far now. His Ravenclaw friend was a guarded person, and almost every mention of dragons from people made him tense. "Not that you have to tell me, if you don't want to…you know that" he quickly added. He had avoided asking Hiccup anything dragon-related in their friendship, but now that he mentioned the dragon's name himself, Jack felt that maybe…just maybe…it was time.

"Yes…" Hiccup replied with obvious longing in his voice. "And he's my best friend…and _amazing_". Somehow it made Jack feel bubbly inside that Hiccup was confiding in him about this. It seemed that his patience with his Ravenclaw friend had paid off and Hiccup was now beginning to let him in.

Even though Jack _knew_ that Hiccup had a dragon, it was still surreal to hear him _actually_ confirm it for the first time ever. The brunet had never really told Jack anything about dragons, so in a weird way it was easy to push it out of his mind, when he was around Hiccup. Now however, Hiccup's words turned it into reality. Jack _actually_ had a friend, who had a_ dragon_. He had never imagined that in his wildest dreams, and he still couldn't quite wrap his head around it.

"Toothless? What kind of name is that?" Jack asked curiously but with a friendly smile, so Hiccup wouldn't take it the wrong way. It really was a strange name, and he wondered if there was a story behind it.

"Well, when I first met him he had his teeth retracted, so I actually thought he _was_ toothless. The name kind of stuck, even when I found out that he had plenty of teeth" Hiccup explained, fondness evident in his voice at the recollection.

Jack looked at the drawing of the dragon once more. The scaly fire-breathing animal definitely had plenty of sharp teeth in this picture. Being able to retract its teeth was quite impressive though. He looked at the picture for a few moments and he tried to imagine Hiccup next to this massive, black dragon. Then he lifted his head and met Hiccup's eyes once again.

"Thanks Hic…for telling me about him" Jack said softly and genuinely. "I know it's not easy for you to trust anyone with dragon-related stuff". He was really touched that Hiccup had chosen to share this with him. It meant a lot to him that he had gained Hiccup's trust with something that meant so much to the Ravenclaw.

Hiccup nodded with a soft smile on his lips. "No, it isn't…but…we're friends now, so I felt that maybe…it was time I took a leap of faith"

"Of course we're friends…and don't worry, I won't tell anyone. Not even my friends. You can trust me" Jack replied, wanting Hiccup to understand this. Then he handed the Viking the sketchbook back.

"Thanks Jack" Hiccup smiled warmly and took the sketchbook, while observing him with those attentive eyes of his.

"And look…I understand if you don't want to tell me anything else, but I hope I can get to hear the story of how you two became friends one day" Jack said hopefully and flashed the Ravenclaw a bright smile.

Hiccup watched him in silence for a few moments, those incredibly green eyes seemingly searching Jack's own blue eyes for something. He became worried for a few seconds that he might have pushed him too far. It was a delicate balance with Hiccup…he was a guarded person who had built these massive emotional walls all around himself, and he was not eager to let people in.

"Sit" Hiccup then said and motioned towards the blanket on the ground. Jack looked at him in confusion for a few moments before complying. Hiccup once again seated himself across from him and seemed to be mentally preparing himself for something. Jack let him take his time and patiently waited, even though he was practically bubbling over with curiosity.

"You can tell this to Flynn, Merida and Mavis if you're_ absolutely_ sure that they can keep a secret, but _no one_ else" Hiccup then said, meeting his eyes. It wasn't a question but a statement, and the Ravenclaw's voice was firm, leaving no room for discussion.

Jack was shocked for a few seconds, as he realized that he was about to hear the story of how Hiccup trained a dragon, a story that the brunet had been guarding from everyone in the castle except his closest friends. Then Jack eagerly nodded in response. "They can keep a secret".

"Good, because…if I tell you this and it gets out somehow, then…" Hiccup trailed off, but his voice was deadly serious and Jack picked up on the underlying warning in the words. If he or any of his friends betrayed Hiccup's trust, his friendship with the brunet would be over.

"I get it, Hic. Really. Don't worry" he said calmly and gently to his secretive friend, wanting to reassure him.

Hiccup nodded slowly a few times and a faint smile graced his lips.

"Is the whole secrecy thing about the dragons somehow to protect them?" Jack asked, voicing a thought that he had had several times during his friendship with Hiccup. After all…Hiccup was a very logical person, so there had to be some well thought out reason for his huge need for secrecy.

Hiccup gave him a crooked smile in response. "You can be quite observant when you want to be, Jack".

"Thanks" Jack smiled. "But how are they in danger?"

"Well…dragons are powerful creatures and some people might want to use them for their own, selfish reasons and even hurt them to accomplish that…That can't happen, so the less people who know about us and how we've trained the dragons the better. It's also to protect the Vikings…some people with less than admirable intentions might want to try and invade us and take away our dragons, if they found out too much about our relationship with them…and the last thing…there are hostile tribes in the archipelago, who don't like the fact that we've made peace with the dragons…they're dangerous too and they shouldn't have too much knowledge on dragons either…the less people know the better" Hiccup explained, gesturing with his hands in that familiar way of his.

Jack instantly felt a strong tug of concern towards Hiccup and that protective instinct of his quickly surfaced.

"I didn't know it was_ that_ dangerous to live there…I mean, of course I knew that it was a brutal place from all that you've told me but…this is different" Jack told his friend quietly.

"Yeah, I know…" Hiccup replied softly.

A few moments of silence passed between them before Hiccup spoke again, chasing away the quietness.

"During a dragon attack on Berk, I shot Toothless down with one of my home-made weapons. I told my dad about it, but he didn't believe me, because I'd never been able to fight properly or shoot a dragon before" Hiccup started to explain and Jack was listening attentively to every word, excited to finally hear this story and collect another vital piece of the puzzle that was his brunet friend. Hiccup's green eyes were slightly guarded but that was to be expected, as this was not easy for him to talk about.

"I was pretty much hopeless at everything, so the thought of me shooting a dragon was incomprehensible to him. When morning came I went in search of the dragon in the woods, where he had landed somewhere. I had almost given up, when I came across some damaged trees and a trail. I found him shortly after, ropes around his body from my weapon. I approached him slowly and I really tried my best to kill him, because I wanted to make my dad proud…" Hiccup trailed off and became silent for a few moments.

Jack took all of this information in. Hiccup had approached a dragon all alone? That was practically…suicidal. He frowned and felt a pang of sadness in his chest, as he briefly considered if Hiccup had had no regard for his own life back then. After all…Hiccup had hinted that his childhood hadn't exactly been great, and that night when they drank mead together he had told him that he used to have some very dark thoughts.

"But when I looked into his eyes, I realized that I couldn't do it" Hiccup then continued softly. "He was scared. He wasn't some monster. He was a being with feelings, with thoughts, with fears…I looked at him and I saw myself…so I decided to cut the ropes and set him free. He pinned me to the ground and roared in my face before running off into a cove. I followed him and saw that he tried to fly but couldn't. Then I realized that he was missing a part of his tailfin because I shot him down, so he was trapped in the cove" Hiccup told him and a brief look of regret flickered in his green eyes. Jack figured that he probably still felt guilty for causing Toothless pain.

"I came back to the cove every day, bringing fish with me. At first I just stayed there with him, giving him the food but keeping my distance, so he knew I wasn't a threat. Then I came closer and closer as time went by, and one day he actually let me touch his snout. From that day on we became friends, and when I designed an artificial tailfin for him, he actually let me put it on him. Then we started trying to fly together, me sitting on his back and controlling the tailfin. After a lot of practice we managed to make it work and we flew around together in the archipelago" Hiccup explained and a flicker of a soft smile tugged his lips upwards.

Jack was shocked to say the least and his blue eyes widened for a few moments. Hiccup had not only trained a dragon but designed a new tailfin for it that he used when he was flying around on it? During their friendship, Jack had thought a lot about Hiccup's relationship with dragons but he had never actually considered that Hiccup would regularly fly around on the back of one…that was…unbelievable.

"Then the day came where I was asked to kill a dragon. I had been in dragon training with the other teens, where we learned how to kill dragons and to defend ourselves against them. I did well, using all the knowledge I had gained from my friendship with Toothless, so I could subdue the dragons without actually hurting them. Then I had to kill a dragon in front of the whole village but I just couldn't do it, knowing now that dragons weren't monsters. As the other Vikings had released the dragon I was supposed to kill, I refused to do it. The dragon got scared from all the noise around it and began to attack me. Toothless heard it from the cove and came to my rescue, but my dad and the rest of the village captured him, and didn't listen to me, when I told them that we were friends. Then he sailed away with the rest of the Vikings to find the dragon queen's nest, because only dragons could find it. That's why they took Toothless with them. I convinced the other teens, including Fishlegs and Astrid, to take the remaining dragons that were locked up in the dragon killing arena to go after them. When we got there, the Red Death…the dragon queen…was already attacking everyone, trying to kill the intruders of her nest. Astrid, Fishlegs and the others distracted it in different ways, while Toothless and I shot at it, trying to bring it down, but it was too big to get any serious damage from our hits….So I decided to lure it high into the sky, beyond the clouds and then dive straight down…it followed us and when it was just about to swallow us, I told Toothless to spin around and shoot a plasma blast straight into its mouth, as that seemed to be its only weak spot. That's how it died…When it came crashing down through the air, I was hit by its massive tail so I fell off Toothless and into the sea of flames that it had left behind…Toothless dived after me and wrapped his wings and feet around me to protect me from the impact…" Hiccup said softly and then sighed.

"Do you remember when I told you I lost my foot fighting the dragon queen?" the Ravenclaw asked him, and Jack quickly nodded in response.

"Well…to save me, Toothless had to grab on somehow…and that's how I lost my foot…In the end, Toothless saved my life. Since that day we have lived in peace with the dragons" Hiccup finished his story and then turned his green eyes towards the lake, looking over the shimmering body of water for a few moments, seemingly in contemplation.

Jack openly gaped at the brunet in front of him for a while, as he was taking in everything Hiccup had just told him. As Hiccup turned his attention away from the lake and once again looked at him, a soft smile tugged at the corners of the Viking's lips, but he remained silent and gave Jack some time to process all of this.

"That's…amazing" Jack whispered in awe, his blue eyes a little wide as he observed his friend. "I mean…that's like something you read in a storybook".

Seriously…Hiccup had done all of that? Formed a close bond with a dragon despite everyone telling him that they were monsters, put his life on the line to defeat the Red Death and save the other Vikings and lost his foot in the process, and created peace between the Vikings and the dragons. That was incredible, Jack thought to himself with affection towards his Ravenclaw friend.

A faint pink tint crept into Hiccup's cheeks at Jack's compliment, and he smiled fondly at his awkward friend. Hiccup was _such _a great person, but the brunet was never able to see that about himself.

"Thanks" Hiccup then replied genuinely with appreciation in his eyes.

"You must be like…considered a hero back home now?" He asked him. After all…Hiccup had saved the other Vikings' lives. Without him, they would all be dead by now.

"Some people see me that way, yes" Hiccup said calmly but sounding almost a little reluctant, and Jack could read the conflicting emotions in his green eyes. Not that that surprised him…Hiccup was always reluctant to recognize that he was special.

"So…back home you actually fly around on Toothless?" Jack asked, eager to learn more about Hiccup's relationship with his dragon and also wanting to change the subject slightly to something that Hiccup was more comfortable with.

"Yeah…it's the best" Hiccup said almost longingly with a faint smile. "There's no feeling that could ever compare to it".

"Isn't it pretty dangerous?" Jack asked and tilted his head slightly. It seemed like the kind of thing that could end quite badly if you weren't careful.

Hiccup shrugged. "Of course there are always risks, but we take precautions…like strapping myself to Toothless' saddle with a harness".

"That's probably a good idea…" Jack said with a small smile. "Are you the only one on Berk who flies around on a dragon?"

"No…Almost everyone on Berk has a dragon now" The Ravenclaw then explained which immediately triggered a thought in Jack's mind.

"What? So you're saying that Fishlegs and Astrid have dragons too"? Jack asked in disbelief, his blue eyes a little wide.

"Yeah" Hiccup chuckled, clearly amused by his surprise. Then the brunet opened his sketchbook and eagerly flipped through the pages before apparently finding the drawing he was looking for. He turned the sketchbook and slid it towards Jack who instantly picked it up and looked at the page. It was a beautiful, detailed drawing of Fishlegs standing happily next to a brown dragon with a short body and a huge head with two small yellow eyes, a wide mouth with a lot of sharp teeth and a big snout. It had a long, club-like tail that seemed to be a pretty effective weapon and two fairly small wings. It was definitely smaller and less dangerous-looking than Toothless, but even so…it had a sort of quiet strength about it.

Astrid and Fishlegs actually had dragons too…he took a few moments to really let that sink in.

"That's Meatlug" Hiccup then explained as he pointed to the drawing and Jack chuckled at the name.

"Do all your dragons have such weird names?"

"Most of them, but not all…my dad's dragon is named Skullcrusher"

"Wow, that's a badass name" Jack said happily, as he tried to imagine a huge, strong dragon that would fit that name. Well…it was definitely the kind of name that would deter enemies.

"It really is" Hiccup agreed, his lips twitching.

Then the brunet flipped the pages in the sketchbook once again and showed Jack a new drawing. This was a picture of Astrid standing proudly next to a big, blue and yellow dragon with large wings, a big round head with yellow eyes placed far apart and some kind of big horn above its massive snout that had huge nostrils. It had very long spikes on top of its head and several smaller spikes along its tail.

"This is Stormfly" Hiccup said and Jack nodded in response, observing the drawing with interest.

"This is just…amazing" He said genuinely and Hiccup smiled at his obvious excitement. Now he wished more than ever that he could go to Berk sometime and see the dragons for himself…it would be so incredible to actually meet a dragon…and Berk was an island_ filled_ with dragons. "It's almost impossible to believe that you guys actually have dragons and fly around on them…" he added, voicing his thoughts.

Hiccup smiled fondly at him. "I know…"

"So where do you like…keep them?" he then asked, as he considered how such massive creatures could live side by side with the Vikings.

"Anywhere and everywhere" Hiccup chuckled. "Toothless sleeps in my room with me" he added, as if it was the most natural thing in the world.

"What, seriously?" Jack asked and his face split into a huge grin. That sounded unbelievable…a dragon sleeping in someone's room like it was no different from a cat or a dog.

"Yeah? But some Vikings prefer to have like a little stable outside their house, where their dragon sleeps" Hiccup explained.

"How many dragon species are there?" Jack then asked curiously. He didn't know much about dragons, except what he had learned in Care of Magical Creatures, but that had only been very little and their professor had made it clear that genuine knowledge on dragons was limited because they were so dangerous and wary of humans that it was very difficult to study them properly.

"A lot…so far we know of 60 different species, but we regularly discover new ones"

"What kind is Toothless?" Jack asked and reached out and flipped the pages of the sketchbook back to the beautiful drawing of the black dragon.

"A Night Fury" Hiccup told him with a fond smile on his lips, and Jack could swear that he heard a trace of pride in the Ravenclaw's voice.

"Wow, cool name" Jack replied genuinely with a smirk.

A few moments of silence passed between them, as Jack thought about Hiccup's words. The Viking in front of him turned his head and observed the calm, blue water of the lake for a few moments, and his green eyes seemed to practically drink in the peaceful surroundings.

"You said there were hostile tribes, who want to keep killing them?" he then asked his brunet friend and Hiccup trained his eyes back on him.

"There are" He confirmed calmly with a quick nod.

"Do they cause problems for you guys?" Jack immediately wanted to know.

"Yeah, they do. They've managed to gain a lot of profit through the years by killing dragons and exporting their parts to the wizarding community for potions and wands and such, but the whole archipelago except three tribes have agreed to outlaw the unnecessary killing of dragons and trading with dragon parts…some of the tribes really don't agree with that, so they continue to do it and sell the parts to the highest bidders, and we try to stop them…ever since the dragons died out in Romania, the archipelago is the only place in the world that still has dragons, so their parts are very valuable…and we need to keep them safe" Hiccup explained quietly and his green eyes turned quite solemn all of the sudden.

Jack nodded in response. "Yeah, that makes sense" he said and then had a thought. "When you said "we try to stop them"…are you seriously a part of that?"

"Yes" Hiccup replied without hesitation.

"That sounds insanely dangerous" Jack said almost in a sort of objection, and he instantly felt the concern swirl inside him. He did not like the thought of Hiccup being in danger.

"_Life _in the archipelago is dangerous, Jack. It's important to me to help protect the dragons" Hiccup said with determination in his voice.

"Yeah, I can tell…it just worries me" he told his friend honestly.

A tiny fond smile graced Hiccup's lips. "Well, _don't _worry. Me and Toothless are a team and we protect each other".

The Viking's words _did_ soothe his troubles a little, although he still really didn't like the thought of Hiccup being in conflict with hostile tribes. That sounds like the kind of thing that could potentially have fatal results and Jack did _not_ want to think about that. A familiar thought then entered his mind, and he hesitated for a few moments, considering whether or not he should ask. He looked into Hiccup's eyes and his Viking friend smiled softly, so he decided to do it.

"Hic…I've been thinking about something…have you ever fought anyone…like for real?" He asked hesitantly, not sure if Hiccup would want to talk about it. Maybe he had had some bad experiences.

"Yeah…it happens once in a while when we're defending the dragons from trappers and such" Hiccup explained quietly and his green eyes conveyed the conflicted emotions he felt within. That was to be expected though…Hiccup was a calm, peaceful guy and even though Jack now knew that he could defend himself, he was the kind of person who would always try to avoid violence.

Jack wondered just how violent these confrontations with the hostile tribes would actually get.

"Have you ever…killed anyone?" Jack asked after a few moments of hesitation, watching Hiccup intently. Somehow he just really needed to know…needed to find out how much horror Hiccup had seen…but he was well aware that this could be a sensitive topic and Hiccup could become guarded in an instant.

"No…and hopefully I won't ever have to" Hiccup replied softly and then tugged a little on one of his braids.

"Yeah…I hope that too…" Jack said genuinely. Life among the Vikings seemed to be quite risky and brutal, and he really hoped that Hiccup could avoid being too involved in conflicts.

Hiccup nodded slowly in response.

The two boys talked a little while longer as they remained by the lake. Jack asked Hiccup some questions about the dragons and the Vikings' relationship with them, and Hiccup answered most of them. There were some questions though, where Hiccup told him that he couldn't share that information, like how many Vikings and dragons lived on Berk, weaknesses of the different dragon species and what methods they used to train them. Jack didn't take it personally though. Hiccup had already opened up to him today a lot more than he had expected.

When the two teens finally made their way back towards the castle, Jack did not fail to notice that soft, delicate fondness that had spread inside him. Hiccup had trusted him with one of his secrets. Something that only the people closest to him knew about. Of course he knew that Hiccup had plenty of other secrets that he was still guarding…Jack wasn't naïve…but…he clearly trusted him since he had told him about this.

He nudged Hiccup's shoulder playfully out of the blue and the Ravenclaw turned his head and observed him with a grin on his face.

"Last one to the castle entrance is a rotten Fire Crab!" Jack yelled and then took off, rushing towards the castle. He heard Hiccup laugh and begin chasing after him, so he kept going as fast as he could, wanting to win this little contest.

He had a head start, and he managed to maintain that, as the castle entrance came into view. A grin spread across his face, as he realized that he was going to beat Hiccup, earning him the right to gloat.

Suddenly a pained noise caused him to stop dead in his tracks. He turned around to see Hiccup grab his bad leg with one of his hands, leaning forward. Jack immediately ran towards his friend and quickly covered the distance between them.

"Hic?" he asked worriedly, afraid that it was his fault that Hiccup was now in pain.

The Ravenclaw lifted his head slowly and as soon as he met Jack's eyes his entire face changed from pained to a huge, bright smile and then he took off like a bullet towards the castle.

Oh, that little shit! Jack instantly thought and spun around quickly to run after that jerk of a Viking. Hiccup's laughter echoed through the air, and when the brunet reached the castle entrance first, he jumped in triumph and practically beamed at Jack.

"Yes!" Hiccup yelled happily.

"You cheated!" Jack exclaimed and pointed an accusing finger at his friend.

"Oh please…You had a head start, so I had to level the playing field" Hiccup said and smirked at him.

"I can't _believe_ you actually faked being in pain to trick me!" Jack said, still a little in disbelief but unable to keep a huge grin off his face.

"Well, being a cripple should have _some _advantages"

"You're not a cripple, Hic" Jack said seriously. He really didn't like that word.

"I know. I was just kidding, Jack" Hiccup explained with a soft smile.

Jack nodded at that. "Good" he said with fondness in his eyes.

There was still an hour or so left before dinner, so the two of them split up to head towards their respective common rooms to find their friends and spend some time with them before it was time to eat. Jack was looking forward to telling his friends the story of how Hiccup and Toothless became friends. He was absolutely sure that they would love that and that they would appreciate Hiccup even more, just like he did.

~~~~ Hiccup ~~~~

TIME SKIP: A FEW DAYS LATER

Today had been a fairly uneventful day of classes and friends. He and Rapunzel had paired up together in art class to work on a detailed painting of the castle, while Mavis had begun painting a picture of Merida with her bow, which was already looking very beautiful. Afterwards, he had had Potions where he joked around with Fishlegs, Jack and the others. He had threatened Jack with retribution, when the pale Gryffindor had played a prank on him by dropping some starthistles into his cauldron, when he was collecting some other ingredients, which caused the potion to turn into thick, slimy goo that bubbled over and spread across his and Fishlegs' workstation. The white-haired idiot had been unable to contain his childish laughter fit that also spread to the other three Gryffindors and Hiccup couldn't keep a grin off his own face. However…he made sure that Jack knew that he was going to pay for this little stunt. Not that the teen seemed too concerned. He actually appeared more amused than anything by that promise. It had made him a bit annoyed to notice McGowan and Levin glaring at him throughout the class, but he had ignored it and after cleaning up after Jack's prank, he even managed to brew a perfect batch that professor Creek complimented him on.

When Potions was over and they had ascended the stairs from the gloomy dungeon, he, Flynn, Jack and Rapunzel had Transfiguration next. They had broken into several hysterical laughter fits as they practiced turning rocks into dogs, which was quite a difficult transfiguration to perform. Luckily Hiccup caught on fairly quickly and he transformed his rock into a very cute black dog with green eyes that barked happily and ran around the classroom excitedly until he had to break the spell, because it started to knock over students and jump onto tables. Jack wasn't that far behind though, and he transfigured his rock into a small, white dog with thick fur and friendly brown eyes. Unfortunately it seemed to have taken on Jack's mischievous spirit as it immediately darted from the classroom and down the hallways. He and Jack instantly ran after it, chasing it through the corridors, unable to keep their loud, joyful laughter from echoing through the air. They got _a lot _of curious looks and laughs from other students as they rushed after the white dog with their wands out, trying to transform it back into a rock, and they finally managed to do so after about 10 minutes, when the dog ran into another classroom and had no way out.

As he and Jack made their way back towards the Transfiguration classroom, Hiccup found himself thinking that he was actually glad that he had told Jack the story of how he made friends with Toothless. Now that Jack and his three friends knew about this part of his life, he felt closer to them, as if their friendship had evolved. He had been nervous to share it with Jack, but now it had been a few days and it hadn't spread to the other students, so Hiccup felt reassured that he was right to trust Jack and that was a nice feeling. Fishlegs and Rapunzel had been surprised to learn that he had told Jack about Toothless, but they told him that they weren't worried that Jack would tell anyone. Apparently they trusted Jack too. Astrid had been less than happy when she found out about it. She'd told him that he didn't know Jack well enough to tell him such important information, but Hiccup had dismissed her worries and asked her to trust his judgment. After arguing for a little while, Astrid had reluctantly agreed.

As Transfiguration was their last class of the day, he, Jack, Flynn and Rapunzel went to the lake by their usual spot afterwards to wait for the rest of their friends and spend some time together. This had practically become a ritual of theirs now and they would do it almost every day, unless there were some other things they needed to attend to, such as Quidditch practice or homework that just couldn't wait.

When they reached the lake and sat down together, they quickly became occupied by a discussion on whose transfigured dog was cuter, his or Jack's. Of course it was his though, anyone could see that, but apparently Rapunzel and Jack disagreed, while Flynn supported him and said that Jack's white dog was too small. This caused an offended huff to escape the pale teen, much to Hiccup's amusement.

After a while, Mavis and Merida appeared and joined them. Merida seemed rather tired, and she told them that Earth Magic had been brutal today, as it was all one long lecture, which she really didn't appreciate. Mavis began to entertain them with a story about how one of the frogs in the Frog Choir had burped so loudly that it echoed through the entire room and ruined the whole song. This amused all of them and Jack had practically choked on his own laughter.

Hiccup then saw something in his peripheral vision, so he turned his head and watched as a familiar heavy Viking approached. He smiled fondly at Fishlegs and when his blonde friend came nearer, the others noticed him as well and greeted him with smiles and waves.

"Hey _L_ǫ_ngubak_*" Hiccup said, a smirk tugging at his lips.

"Hi _Burlufotr_*" Fishlegs shot back with a grin and sat down between him and Rapunzel. The blonde girl nudged their Viking friend's shoulder playfully and smiled at him as a greeting.

"How was Ancient Runes?" Hiccup asked and tilted his head a little.

Fishlegs shrugged. "Eh…it was okay, I guess, but McGowan was a bit of a jerk today"

"What? How?" Hiccup instantly asked, wanting to know whether the large Gryffindor had bothered his friend. McGowan was one of those people that Hiccup and Fishlegs had had problems with several times during their years at Hogwarts.

"He just tried to get me to do his work for him again" Fishlegs said and shrugged.

"Gods, he's such an idiot"

"Yeah, he's a real git" Flynn agreed with obvious annoyance lacing his voice.

"It's no wonder that almost no one in our House wants anything to do with him" Jack said and crossed his arms.

"Except Levin…other than that he always hangs out with those two Slytherins and that Hufflepuff" Merida said, furrowing her brow a little.

"Yeah, well…I just told him that he needed to do his own work" Fishlegs shrugged.

Hiccup nodded and smiled at his friend. "Good. He needs to know that he can't just threaten people to get what he wants".

"Yeah, but unfortunately he moved on to someone else and they were too scared to say no" Fishlegs replied solemnly.

"It's unbelievable that he gets away with it…it's like the professors don't even see it" Jack rolled his eyes.

"They probably don't" Hiccup replied. "Most bullies are very good at keeping the truth from anyone who has any power over them".

"Yeah, I guess…it's just wrong" Jack said in annoyance. "I remember once in our third year that some short first year boy accidentally bumped into McGowan in the corridors and he just lost it and started threatening him and slammed him against the wall. The little guy was terrified".

Hiccup furrowed his brow. "That's just so pathetic...picking on someone who can't even fight back".

"Yeah, it is." Flynn agreed. "It was a good thing that me and Jack were around, because no one else was too eager to help him".

"I've always wondered why some people turn out like that…" Mavis thought out loud. "Always needing to threaten others and put them down"

Hiccup shrugged. "People who've always been strong often take it for granted and lose respect for it. They've never experienced what it's like to be stepped on, so they don't really have any empathy with people weaker than them…" He replied calmly, voicing something he'd thought about several times in his life. "And then…there are situations where they _have _experienced being abused or threatened, so they focus all their energy on bothering others to appear strong, so they won't become targets themselves…"

"Sounds like you have some experience with bully types" Flynn concluded.

"I have" Hiccup replied but chose not to elaborate.

"Well, what you're saying definitely makes sense" Mavis said and nodded a few times. "It's a shame that it's not easier for the professors to spot and to intervene somehow…I mean, being bullied and maybe even threatened or beaten up…that can have serious consequences for people's lives".

Well, she didn't need to tell Hiccup that. He had plenty of experience.

"Yeah, it is…Unfortunately, some people will always have the need to bother others to make themselves feel powerful" he replied, now feeling a little solemn. Gods, he really didn't like bully types.

"It's just strange because, I don't remember him being like that in our first year…" Flynn said in contemplation and scratched the back of his head a few times. "He even told me once that he wanted to work with either children or animals when he grew up".

"What, seriously?" Jack asked in slight disbelief and his blue eyes widened for a few seconds.

"Yeah…it's weird isn't it?"

"Well…Something could have happened to him that turned him into the bully he is now" Hiccup said and shrugged.

"Yeah, maybe…." Jack agreed. "But…we'll never know anyway".

"True" Flynn said. "But at least he didn't want to be a knight like Merida did" he then added and shot a grin at the red-haired girl.

"Hey, that's a perfectly legitimate profession, Rider" Merida shot back trying to maintain a threatening demeanor, but failing as a small smile graced her lips.

"Sure, it is, Curly" Flynn retorted. "Especially for a woman in our time"

"Well what did you want to be when you were younger that was so great then?" Merida challenged him.

"A dashing, brilliant masterthief…or a king" Flynn replied with a confident smile and Hiccup and the others chuckled, while Merida rolled her eyes.

"I wanted to be a doctor" Rapunzel said happily, her green eyes wide. "I've always liked the thought of helping people heal".

"Well, I wanted to be a Yeti" Jack interjected with a proud smile, causing the others to laugh.

"Of course you did…living in some part of the Himalaya's surrounded by ice and snow, playing pranks on unsuspecting tourists…what could be more natural for you?" Mavis asked with a fond smile.

"True" Jack admitted and gave Mavis a bright grin. "What about you guys?" he then asked Hiccup and Fishlegs.

He and Fishlegs shot each other a knowing glance, and Hiccup knew that his friend was aware of his predicament.

"Uhh, well…" Fishlegs started quickly. "There aren't really that many options in the archipelago…I mean…you can be things like a smith, a farmer, a healer, a tailor, those sorts of things…so there_ are_ options, but definitely not as many as here"

Hiccup appreciated Fishlegs answering the question for them and remained silent and just smiled a little. When he met Jack's eyes, he could tell from the look in his blue eyes that the white-haired teen had picked up on his reluctance to answer the question, but as usual Jack didn't ask when Hiccup was obviously uncomfortable with something and that was one of the things he appreciated immensely about their friendship.

"Or you could just be Viking warriors. Isn't that like a full time profession?" Jack asked jokingly and tilted his head of snow-white hair.

"Not really, Jack" Hiccup said with amusement lacing his voice, as he trained his green eyes on his friend. "There aren't constantly wars and conflicts, so in between that you'd need something else to do. Anyway…we're dragon riders, in case you forgot".

"Well, that's probably for the best…after all, you're obviously too weak to be a warrior" Jack grinned at him. If anyone who wasn't his friend had said that, Hiccup would get the familiar sting of feeling inadequate, but since it was Jack, he was well aware that he was only trying to rile him up for fun.

"Oh really, Snowflake? Unlike you, of course?" he said dryly and raised an eyebrow at Jack.

"Of course! I mean, look at me…this is obviously nothing but pure muscle and ninja reflexes" the pale teen retorted, and Hiccup and the others chuckled at that comment. That was really not true…Jack was a pretty skinny guy and even though he did have quick reflexes, they couldn't exactly be classified as "ninja", no matter how many times Jack insisted on it.

"Right" Hiccup drawled. "I'm obviously no match for you, Snowball"

"I'm glad you've finally realized that, Hic"

"In case you didn't notice, that was sarcasm, _snær flekkr_" He told his snow-haired friend, even though they both knew that Jack was well aware of this.

"What!?" Jack exclaimed, pretending to be outraged by this. "How dare you? I challenge you to a duel!"

"Seriously, Jack? You're challenging a _Viking_ to a duel?" Hiccup shot back with an amused smirk. That would _not_ end well for Jack.

"Oh, you're saying that I don't have a chance?" Jack said, seeming offended by this and crossed his arms.

"That's _exactly _what I'm saying"

Jack then got to his feet in a few swift movements and quickly covered the short distance between them in a second, before beginning to lean over and punch Hiccup repeatedly on the arm in an obvious challenge.

Hiccup sighed. "Seriously Jack?" he asked his friend and then suppressed a chuckle. He and Jack both knew that he could easily take the pale teen down, so Hiccup assumed that Jack was just doing this to entertain their friends a little.

"What, are you scared, Viking boy?" Jack smirked.

Well…He needed to wipe that smug smile off his friend's face now.

Hiccup jumped to his feet, quickly snapped Jack's arm behind his back and forced him down on his knees, before smacking his face down into the grass (not hard of course), still holding his arm in a tight grip. Jack squirmed, trying to break free, but there was no way he could do that.

The other teens instantly roared with laughter at the sight of Jack being overpowered immediately, especially Merida and Flynn, who always seemed to take great pleasure in seeing Jack being put in his place.

"Do you surrender, Snowcone?" he asked Jack in amusement, as he loosened his grip on him enough for Jack to lift his face from the ground.

"Never!" Jack shouted defiantly.

Hiccup didn't reply but just smacked his face down on the ground once again. The white-haired Gryffindor kept struggling, squirming a lot, but it wasn't difficult for Hiccup to hold him in place at all. After a few moments, he let Jack lift his face once again.

"What about now? Do you surrender?"

"Fine!" Jack exclaimed and then pouted. "I surrender…you stupid Viking"

Hiccup couldn't contain the laughter that escaped him then and he immediately let go of Jack and quickly took his seat once again next to Fishlegs on the blanket.

Jack scowled at him, as he also covered the short distance to their friends again and plopped down on the ground across from him.

"Wow Snowflake, you just got your ass kicked" Merida laughed, clearly loving this.

"Well you would have got that too, if you went up against a freakin' Viking" Jack shot back and crossed his arms defiantly. Hiccup chuckled at that.

"Even more reason not to do that, Jackie" Flynn interjected with an amused grin on his face. "That was a stupid idea".

"Yeah, well…next time I'll just ambush him somehow, so he doesn't have time to react" Jack smirked evilly and rubbed his hands together.

"Please, like that would ever happen" Hiccup said and did a dismissive wave.

"Uh, Hiccup?" Fishlegs suddenly said, interrupting their banter with a slight uncertainty in his blue eyes.

"Yeah?" he replied hesitantly, sensing that this was going to be about something he wouldn't like.

"I forgot…Someone sort of gave me a note to pass on to you. Should I just read it as usual?" Fishlegs asked.

Hiccup sighed. It really bothered him that people had begun to approach Fishlegs and Rapunzel too about him. Sure, he didn't like strangers approaching him, but it was better to just keep it contained to himself instead of his friends as well.

"Yes. Thanks" he replied with a small smile.

Fishlegs instantly took the note out of his pocket and unfolded it. Rapunzel scooted closer to him and looked at the note as well, reading the words on the page with interest in her green eyes. Then she grinned widely and trained her eyes on Hiccup with amusement. Oh no…this was going to be bad, he just knew it.

"What's so funny?" Flynn asked the blonde girl with a smile tugging at his lips. "Amusing fangirl mail?"

"Actually…try: fan_boy _mail" Rapunzel said happily and then giggled. The other teens around them instantly chuckled.

"What?" Hiccup asked in disbelief, needing to hear it confirmed.

Fishlegs handed him the note and he quickly took it and scanned the words written on the crinkled piece of paper. He felt a little blush warm his cheeks as he read the complimentary message. He looked at the name, and sure enough, it was from a guy, and Hiccup felt quite conflicted about that. It wasn't just any guy though. Hiccup knew him. Well, he didn't_ know_ him, but he was aware of who the Hufflepuff was and they had even exchanged a few words in classes through the years. Well, this was…interesting.

"Huh…I didn't know he was gay" Hiccup then said and met Fishlegs' eyes, as his blonde Viking friend was observing him intently.

"Who?" Merida asked with obvious curiosity in her blue eyes, as she leaned a little forward in anticipation.

"I can't really tell you that" Hiccup said and meant it. This was a private matter, and he wasn't going to share the guy's identity, since he didn't know if that would somehow be uncomfortable for the Hufflepuff.

"Aww, come on Hiccup" Flynn said and raised one of his eyebrows.

"Nah, it wouldn't be right…I don't know if he'd want people to know that he's gay" Hiccup explained softly, gesturing with his hands.

"Well…fanboy mail. That's impressive, Hic" Jack's amused voice said, not just teasing him but also changing the direction of the conversation, which Hiccup was quite grateful for.

"Okay?" He said questioningly as he met Jack's blue eyes. The pale teen had his head tilted slightly and amused smirk graced his lips. Hiccup just knew that that snow-loving idiot was going to use this against him in future banter.

"I've never gotten fanboy mail. What about you, Flynn?" Jack asked his brunet Gryffindor friend.

"Only once" Flynn replied, which instantly caused Merida, Mavis and Jack to look at him in slight disbelief.

"What? And you never told us?" Merida asked. "That's definitely important information" she added with an amused smirk.

Flynn just shrugged and then grinned at them.

After having spent some time together by the lake, talking, laughing and shooting funny insults at each other, the teens split up and headed towards their respective common rooms before dinner. When he, Fishlegs and Rapunzel reached Ravenclaw Tower and entered through the portrait, his two friends slumped down in two of the soft, blue armchairs by the fireplace. There were a few other Ravenclaws in the room and they all waved or smiled at him, as he quickly walked through the room and up the creaking staircase towards their dormitory to grab one of his other sketchbooks and some more charcoal pencils. He found what he was looking for in his nightstand and put the items into his black satchel, when suddenly he jumped in surprise, as he heard tapping on the window. He snapped his head towards the sound and saw his dad's black owl sit outside the window with a letter in its beak. He smiled to himself and quickly covered the short distance to the window and opened it. The black owl jumped onto his arm and he gently took the letter from its beak. Then it let out a content hoot, spread its wings and flew out of the open window, taking off into the brisk evening air.

Hiccup plopped down on his bed and opened the letter. His dad's uneven runes filled the piece of paper, and he quickly took in the written words, eager to find out how everything was going at home. He was relieved to find out that there hadn't been more troubles with the hostile tribes, since his dad's last letter, and he felt a smile tugging at his lips when he read that the twins, Snotlout, Gobber and everyone else he knew back home was doing well, and that there were no problems with the dragons either. However…his relief and happiness were short lived, as he continued reading the runes. His dad made it clear that when he, Fishlegs, Astrid and Rapunzel came to Berk for the holidays in December, there would of course be plenty of time to celebrate _Jól_* and have fun, but Hiccup would also need to get more chiefing lessons as well. He frowned and then sighed to himself, as he folded the note and then put it in one of his pockets. He knew that he couldn't avoid it, but it just served to remind him painfully of his future responsibilities and how he would probably never be ready to be a leader. To put it mildly, he didn't have any confidence in his abilities to rule an entire Viking tribe and he was afraid that the decisions he would make could potentially end up hurting the people he cared about. He felt the familiar presence of melancholy wash over him and he knew that he needed to be alone for a while right now.

He quickly got to his feet, adjusted the satchel to hang comfortably from his shoulder and descended the staircase into the large common room with the dome ceiling. He spotted his friends still sitting in some of the blue armchairs by the fire, apparently discussing something amusing, as Rapunzel let out a bubbly laugh and covered her mouth with one hand. As he approached they both turned their heads towards him and their smiles quickly disappeared.

"What's wrong?" Rapunzel asked him gently, her green eyes immediately brimming with concern.

"I got a letter from my dad" Hiccup began softly and then sighed a little.

"Oh?" Fishlegs said questioningly, observing him intently with worry written all over his face.

"Yeah. When we come back for the holidays, he wants me to get more chiefing lessons" Hiccup explained quietly, not wanting any of the other Ravenclaws in the room to hear him. He _really_ didn't need anyone else knowing about this.

"I'm sorry Hiccup…I know how all of this makes you feel" Rapunzel said genuinely and by the look of regret on her face, Hiccup could tell that she really wished that she could help him. Both Rapunzel and Fishlegs were well aware that he had trouble with his future role in the tribe, and that his dad's attempts to prepare him for it only served to make him feel worse about it.

"Is there anything we can do for you?" Fishlegs asked, leaning forward a little, also eager to do something to help. Hiccup really appreciated the offer, but he didn't know what they could possibly do.

"No, not really…but thanks…both of you" He said and gave them a soft smile. They really were great friends, always ready to listen and to help, whenever he needed it.

"I just need to be alone for a while and think" he then added.

His friends both nodded slowly in understanding, but their eyes were still full of concern. He knew that Fishlegs and Rapunzel didn't like it when he became all solemn and retreated outside to be alone, but they were aware that that was his way of dealing with things, so they reluctantly let him have his space and he was grateful for that.

"Okay…if you want to talk some time, you know we're here for you…" Rapunzel said warmly and quickly got to her feet and wrapped her arms around him in a warm hug. He let the friendly gesture comfort him a little, but it wasn't enough to banish his dark thoughts.

When he and Rapunzel pulled apart, the blonde sat back down in the blue chair.

"And…let us know if you change your mind and there's actually something we can do" Fishlegs added.

"Thanks guys…and don't worry. I'll be okay…I just need some space" He then told them, and when they both gave him small understanding smiles in response, he turned around and walked away from them towards the exit of the common room. He would go to a familiar place, sit down in peace and quiet and just work on some of his sketches for a while…that usually helped ease his mind a little.

~~~~ Jack ~~~~

Dinner in the Great Hall was a very mixed experience today. Jack had felt content and happy, as he was laughing and joking around with his friends, while enjoying a delicious meal consisting of roast chicken, potatoes and steamed vegetables, despite the fact that his three Ravenclaw friends were absent. This didn't worry him too much though. Even though they were usually there before himself and his Gryffindor friends, dinner had only just started so they would probably be here in a minute.

As the meal in the Great Hall had continued though, Jack had grown concerned. He had spotted Fishlegs and Rapunzel enter the hall and sit down by the Ravenclaw table, but Hiccup wasn't with them.

Jack was worried to say the least. He kept shooting glances at the Ravenclaw table where Rapunzel and Fishlegs were speaking to each other and eating their dinner quietly. Where was Hiccup? With the exception of that evening in the library when he had first spoken to him, the brunet usually didn't skip dinner.

His friends had quickly noticed that something was wrong, and he explained that Hiccup was nowhere to be seen, which made him concerned. His three friends tried to reassure him that everything was probably fine, but it didn't really help him. As soon as Rapunzel and Fishlegs left the Hall, Jack quickly told his friends that he needed to talk to them and then followed them through the exit.

He quickly caught up with the two Ravenclaws, who spotted him and then watched him with small smiles on their lips.

"Hey guys" he told them and gave them a small wave and they both greeted him warmly in return.

"Where's Hiccup?" he then asked them, tilting his head a little.

Fishlegs and Rapunzel shot each other a brief look and remained silent for a few moments and Jack didn't like that at all. It was obvious that there was something wrong.

"Well…" Rapunzel started hesitantly, shifting her weight from one leg to the other. "He sort of got a letter from home and it put him in a bad mood"

"Where is he now?" Jack asked, as he felt the concern grow within him.

"Outside somewhere. He said he needed to think for a while and he always does that outside" Fishlegs explained, his blue eyes seeming rather sad. Well that was to be expected. He and Hiccup were very close friends after all, so Fishlegs was probably worried but also wanted to give Hiccup his space.

"Okay...I just wanted to know" He told them genuinely and they nodded in response. "Thanks for telling me. I'll see you guys tomorrow, okay?" Jack said and shot them a smile, before turning around to join his friends in the Great Hall again.

He remained quiet for the rest of the meal and when he and his friends were back in the Gryffindor common room, hanging out and talking, he had trouble focusing. As he sat comfortably next to Mavis in one of the soft red couches close to the fireplace with his best friends around him, as well as Jim, Liam and Harry, he really should have joined the conversation taking place and enjoyed the company of his friends. However…his thoughts kept drifting towards a certain brunet Ravenclaw. What had been in that letter Hiccup had received and why had it put him in a bad mood? Jack was really hoping it wasn't something serious.

"Jackie!?" Flynn's voice suddenly pulled him brutally out of his thoughts and he jumped slightly at the loud sound and lifted his head to meet his friend's brown eyes.

"Yeah?" He asked in confusion and then glanced at the others who were all watching him in silence.

"You've been quiet pretty much all through dinner and now you're completely distracted…what's wrong?" Flynn asked in obvious concern, leaning a little forward in the armchair he was sitting in.

Jack quickly looked around them to see if any Gryffindors besides him and his friends were close by to hear him. Luckily there weren't.

Jack sighed. "I'm just a little worried about…Hiccup" he told them honestly. His three best friends nodded slowly in understanding, while Jim, Harry and Liam furrowed their brows in confusion.

"Why?" Liam asked him. Jim, Harry and Liam had all met Hiccup and talked to him a few times now that Jack and Hiccup were such good friends, but they didn't really know him at all.

"Rapunzel and Fishlegs told me that he was in a bad mood and he had gone outside to think" He explained.

"Well, I'm sure he's okay, Jack" Mavis said softly, watching him with reassurance in her blue eyes.

"Yeah, it's probably not anything serious" Merida added and gave him a small but warm smile.

"Maybe…" Jack said in contemplation, but then he made a decision. He knew he wouldn't be able to focus on his friends anyway until he found out what was going on, so there was really only one thing to do.

"I'm going to go outside and check on him" he told his friends and then quickly got to his feet and began walking towards the exit of the common room without giving them a chance to reply.

"Jack, are you sure that's a good idea? He obviously wants to be alone?" He heard Merida's voice say from behind him, so he stopped in his tracks and spun around.

"Yeah, I know, I know…but…I'm just going to go find him and offer him to talk. If he just wants to be alone, I'll leave".

Merida nodded in response, clearly satisfied by that and Jack turned around and once again walked towards the portrait of the fat lady.

As soon as he had left the common room and was on his way down one of the staircases, he heard a voice behind him.

"Jack?"

He stopped and turned around to face Abbey, who had apparently followed him out of the common room and was now observing him with her brown eyes.

"What?" he said coolly, not bothering to hide his annoyance with her. After what Hiccup had told him about her, he really didn't want to be around her.

"Did you think about what I asked you?" the blonde girl said hesitantly, wringing her hands a little, having obviously sensed his annoyance.

"It's never going to happen, Abbey" He said irritated and then spun around and began to walk away briskly, eager to put some distance between him and the girl who had apparently bothered Hiccup on several occasions.

"It's because of Haddock, isn't it?" the girl asked, raising her voice and he stopped dead in his tracks.

"What?" he asked as he once again turned around to face her.

"He's lying, you know" Abbey said calmly and crossed her arms.

"What are you talking about?" Jack asked her with slightly narrowed eyes. He didn't like where this was going at all.

"Whatever he's saying about me…it's not true" the girl simply stated.

"Oh_ really_?" Jack replied, raising his eyebrows.

"Yes, really. He's always disliked me for no reason" the blonde girl said, her voice now laced with a faint irritation.

Jack shook his head slowly. If she was seriously thinking that he would fall for this, she had another thing coming. What kind of weird strategy was this anyway? Trying to get him to like her by saying bad things about his friend? In what universe would that ever work?

"You _really_ don't know Hiccup _at all_, do you?" he chose to reply.

"What do you mean?" she asked in obvious confusion, furrowing her brow.

"He _always_ has reasons…for everything he does. He's like…the most rational person I know" Jack explained, as he kept watching the blonde girl in front of him icily.

"So you're actually going to choose to listen to a lying cripple?" Abbey said in annoyance and crossed her arms defensively.

Jack instantly felt the anger whirl inside his gut and quickly covered the distance between him and Abbey and narrowed his eyes at her.

"_Don't_…ever call him that". He did _not_ like people putting Hiccup down. His brunet friend's ego was bruised already, and even though Jack still didn't know what had happened to him in his past, he was determined to do whatever he could to protect the guy from more damaging blows to his self-esteem.

"Well, it's true Jack, whether you like it or not" Abbey said as if he was a child who wouldn't accept some harsh reality.

"You know what, Abbey? Don't bother lying about Hiccup to me, okay? You know why?" he asked, wanting this conversation to be over as soon as possible. He was growing more and more irritated and this was just a serious waste of time and energy.

When Abbey remained quiet, just observing him with a mix of annoyance and confusion in her brown eyes, obviously not sure whether she should reply or not, he continued.

"Because I'll _always_ choose him over you"

~~~~ Jack ~~~~

As Jack stepped outside the main entrance of the castle, the evening air was brisk against his pale skin. There wasn't a single cloud in the night sky, and he took a brief moment to just watch the dark blue heavens that were illuminated by thousands of bright, shining stars and a beautiful full moon that bathed his surroundings in a soft, gentle glow. The peaceful surroundings managed to calm him down a little, which was good. He needed to be calm right now, so he could be there for Hiccup, if he wanted to talk about whatever was bothering him.

When he decided to walk towards the lake, finding it the most likely place to find Hiccup, he took out his wand from the pocket in his blue hoodie.

"Lumos" he said and the wand lit up, covering the ground ahead of him in the pale light, so he could easily make his way to his destination without stumbling over roots or rocks. As he walked across the soft, wet grass, the chilly wind caressed his skin and the gentle sound of the breeze rustling through the leaves in the trees reached his ears. This night seemed so...calm and peaceful, and yet he was anxious. He wanted to locate Hiccup, so he could see him for himself.

When the lake came into view, Jack began scanning his blue eyes across the surroundings. It was so dark that Hiccup could practically be anywhere, but suddenly he spotted a faint warm light from somewhere next to the massive dark body of water. He smiled to himself. That had to be Hiccup. He walked with eager steps towards the lake, wanting to reach his friend as quickly as possible.

Soon Jack spotted just the person he was looking for. The Viking boy was sitting with his back to a tree with a lit lantern on the ground next to him illuminating his face slightly with a warm glow. He was holding his sketchbook, tracing his charcoal pencil across the paper. Typical Hiccup. He was almost always sketching when he needed to relax or take his mind off things, Jack had quickly learned that.

Jack approached him, the autumn leaves and twigs cracking under his feet. It didn't take long for Hiccup to notice him, and the Ravenclaw lifted his head for a moment, registered who it was and then lowered his gaze to his sketchbook once again.

"Hey Hic…what are you doing out here?" Jack asked gently and now he was standing right in front of the brunet.

"Nothing…I was just thinking" Hiccup replied without much emotion, causing Jack to roll his eyes. Of course he was. He was always thinking.

"You do that waaaay too much" Jack complained jokingly while throwing his hands up in frustration, earning him a small smile from Hiccup, but the Ravenclaw kept his eyes on his sketchbook and continued to move his pencil across the page.

"I know" Hiccup simply answered, not bothering to give Jack any of his usual sass and sarcasm. Jack frowned. Now it was definitely confirmed that Hiccup was in a bad mood. The brunet didn't just give in to his comments like that. He would always have a quick-witted reply ready to shoot back at him. Jack had a strange, growing feeling in his gut that told him he needed to protect his friend. He wanted to shield him, wanted to make his problems disappear.

When Hiccup once again looked up at him with his familiar green eyes and Jack was now close enough to actually see them properly, he felt a slight pang of worry in his chest. The Viking's eyes were dull and tired, and not sparkling with wit and mirth like Jack had gotten used to. Hiccup seemed melancholy, sitting slumped against the tree trunk. Well that wouldn't do at all. Jack did_ not_ like seeing him like this.

He sat down clumsily on the ground in front of Hiccup, not caring that his trousers became wet from the moist grass. He crossed his legs and rested his arms on them, while observing the other boy for a few seconds longer. The Viking didn't look at him now, and Jack didn't like the silence that had descended on them. It was an unnatural, unwelcome presence.

"Hiccup…is something wrong?" he asked gently, not wanting to pry too much, in case Hiccup actually wanted to be alone. Jack wanted to be there for him, but he would always respect that Hiccup needed his space sometimes.

"Yes…but I can't really talk to you about it" the Viking sighed.

Jack would be lying, if he said that it didn't hurt a little to hear those words. He wanted Hiccup to trust him, to know that he would be there for him when he needed it.

"Okay…" he started uncertainly. "Well…Look, Hic…I know it's difficult to tell someone about your problems…_trust me_…but I'm here for you, if you need someone to listen. I would never judge you or tell anyone about it" Jack reassured his friend sincerely. He meant every word and he really wanted Hiccup to understand. Sure, he was a mischievous carefree prankster most of the time, but he was also a trustworthy friend.

"I know Jack…but it's more complicated than just that" Hiccup replied with a trace of sadness in his voice that almost made Jack wince.

Jack sighed and became quiet for a few moments. Then he made a decision. He couldn't really expect Hiccup to open up to him, unless he did the same thing…so he would tell him something that only his three closest friends and his family knew about. He would show his friend that he could trust him with anything. Jack's stomach was instantly protesting to what he was about to do. It formed large knots that twisted and turned and made him feel anxious. He was nervous, and his body was warning him that this was dangerous emotional territory that could end up hurting him. He didn't listen though. He needed to do this.

"Hiccup…can I tell you a story?" Jack asked, smiling softly and expertly concealing his own discomfort. Hiccup looked at him then, his green eyes sparkling with a mild interest. Well, that was better than nothing Jack thought.

"Of course" Hiccup replied sincerely but also sounding very tired, giving Jack a quick nod.

Jack nodded to himself for a few seconds to mentally prepare himself for what he was about to do. This wasn't going to be easy. Talking about it reminded him of the guilt and the grief that he would rather forget. He wouldn't back down now though. It was time for Hiccup to know.

"When I was 10 and Emma was 5 we got new ice skates for Christmas. We begged our parents to take us ice skating the next day, but they were busy and told us that we had to wait, so…we decided to sneak out and go to a large pond nearby to skate by ourselves. I was holding Emma's hand the whole time and everything was fine, until she begged me to let her skate by herself for just a little while. I thought it was okay, because it was only going to be for a brief moment and I would be right there to keep an eye on her…and…at first it was fine…but then…the ice started to crack under her feet" Jack explained softly and when he met Hiccup's eyes, he saw them widen for a moment.

"I took my skates off and approached her slowly, trying my best to walk carefully, so the ice wouldn't crack under me too…she was so scared and I tried to convince her that she would be okay, but she didn't believe me…When I was close enough to her, I threw myself at her and pushed her out of the way. She landed on a thicker patch of ice, and she was finally safe. I was so relieved…but then the ice budged underneath me and I fell into the water" Jack told his brunet friend, and Hiccup bit his bottom lip and furrowed his brow in obvious concern.

"I was sure I was going to die, but suddenly I was heaved out of the water and pushed across the ice. I tried my best to get up but everything was hurting so badly…I just couldn't…and then I heard the screams…When I looked at the water, my parents were in there…Emma told me later that my mum had dived head first in the water to get me out and my dad had followed her…They were trying to get out but the ice was cracking all around them every time they tried to pull themselves out…and then…my mum's muscles cramped from the cold and she couldn't keep herself afloat anymore. My dad tried his best to help her but he couldn't keep holding both of them up, so…" Jack said, doing his best to keep his voice steady, but he knew that he sounded pained. Hiccup kept watching him in silence, but those green eyes were filled with sadness now, and Jack had no doubt that Hiccup already knew how this story was going to end.

"I screamed at Emma to run and get help and she did, but it was too late…They drowned right in front of me…Afterwards me and Emma were taken in by the authorities because we had no other living family" he finished softly and broke eye contact with his brunet friend for a few moments. It was incredibly difficult for him to talk about this. It opened up old wounds that he tried his best to move on from.

"Jack…" Hiccup said softly, almost a whisper. Jack met his friend's forest-green eyes and saw the understanding, the empathy, the pain that shone in them. He felt a little relief wash over him. Hiccup understood.

"I'm so sorry…" Hiccup continued, still speaking quietly, his voice brimming with concern. "I'm sorry you had to go through that".

Jack gave his friend a small smile. "It was a long time ago...But it still hurts" he said, trying his best to keep his voice under control. "If we hadn't snuck out, they would still be alive…If I had known magic back then, I would have been able to save them…It was our fault they died." He finished, his vision blurring as unshed tears invaded his eyes, taunting him with their warm, stinging presence. He wiped his eyes with one of his sleeves, _refusing_ to cry in front of Hiccup. It was so rare that he ever cried, but if he didn't count the retelling of the nightmares to Mavis, he had only ever told this entire story twice…once to the authorities after it happened and once to his three best friends. It was painful for him to talk about, so he usually avoided it.

"It was never your fault" Jack heard Hiccup's gently voice say, and he was touched by the level of emotion in it…but he had heard those words and words similar to them many times before, and it never relieved him of the guilt and the grief swirling inside him.

"Yes it was…but I've learned to live with it. We were only kids…we couldn't have known what would happen…but it was our fault nonetheless. Nothing can ever erase that" Jack stated bitterly, still not meeting Hiccup's eyes. He felt more tears blur his vision and he rubbed his eyes with his hands to stop them from falling. Then he took a few deep breaths and willed them away. He needed to pull himself together now.

Jack had expected Hiccup to continue trying to reassure him that it wasn't his fault his parents died. He was used to people doing that, and he understood why they did it. They just wanted him to feel better, but it was also frustrating because it had kept him from taking responsibility for a long time. He had needed to take responsibility to begin moving on.

Hiccup didn't reassure him though. There were a few moments of that unnatural silence between them, before Hiccup suddenly moved to Jack's side in a few swift movements and pulled him into a warm hug.

Jack was too stunned at first to react, stiffening at the unexpected touch, but after a few seconds, he reached his arms around the brunet and hugged him back. He felt Hiccup's warmth envelop him and it somehow felt safe and comforting, like his doubts were melting away. Jack didn't even manage to think about it, before he rested his chin on Hiccup's shoulder, the soft fabric of the other boy's green shirt brushing the lower half of his face, as he breathed in the scent of his friend. Hiccup smelled of pine and rainfall, and Jack smiled softly to himself. His hands grabbed fists of Hiccup's shirt, holding on to the fabric tightly, not wanting to let go of the other guy just yet. He could feel Hiccup's surprisingly strong arms wrapped around him, and he found that he didn't mind this long hug at all. It should be awkward. It should be wrong and weird, but somehow it just wasn't. Jack felt perfectly comfortable like this, and even though he couldn't see Hiccup's face, he knew that he did too, due to the lack of tension in the brunet's body. He could feel Hiccup's soft brown hair on his cheek as he tilted his head slightly, leaning his head against the side of the Ravenclaw's head. He closed his eyes as brown locks tickled the skin on his eyelids and nose.

The warm feeling that was slowly spreading through Jack's body making him relax was perplexing to say the least and it left him scrambling for an explanation. How was it possible that all the loving, supportive words and hugs in the world had never been able to comfort him in moments like this…had never been able to relieve him of the pain…but the touch of this gentle brunet Viking was slowly dwindling the dark emotions raging inside of him, replacing them with an comforting warm sensation. Jack couldn't explain what was happening in this moment. At the back of his mind some vague, intangible concept was poking at him…something he couldn't quite figure out. It didn't matter though. He and Hiccup took comfort in each other in this moment. That was all that mattered.

Hiccup suddenly broke the contact between them, pulling himself a few feet away once again, sitting across from him. Jack instantly missed the warmth and comfort that had surrounded him like a soft, thick blanket, shielding him from the world, and he caught himself wishing Hiccup hadn't let go just yet.

When Jack looked into Hiccup's eyes once again, he could see something new there. A sort of determination. That was a good change he thought to himself and felt relieved that he had managed to remove some of the defeat from his friend's eyes.

~~~~ Hiccup ~~~~

As Hiccup observed his pale friend sitting across from him, he felt the empathy and sadness swirl inside him. He had been shocked to hear Jack share the story of how his parents died. His friend had watched his parents being pulled out of this world right in front of him and had to live with the guilt of knowing that if he had done just one simple thing differently that day, they would still be alive. Hiccup was no stranger to the sharp stabs of guilt, but he hadn't experienced anything that could ever compare to what Jack had felt and was still feeling. He had desperately wanted to soothe his friend's pain and chase his demons away. That look on Jack's face as he spoke of how it was his fault that his parents died, the way his usually happy blue eyes filled with unshed tears…Hiccup_ hated_ seeing Jack like that and he instantly felt the need to protect him, to help him, to ease his mind. When words didn't manage to quell his friend's guilt and grief, he had turned to physical comfort, which was very unusual for him to initiate, but he knew just how soothing it could be sometimes. Luckily it had seemed to work as Jack relaxed and Hiccup had also found a certain comfort in the close contact between them. The warmth, the faint scent of peppermint that always seemed to stick to Jack, the softness of his white hair against Hiccup's cheek as the Gryffindor leaned his head against his…it had all been calming for both of their minds.

Hiccup broke eye contact with Jack and looked at the ground for a few moments in nervous contemplation. Was he really going to do this? It had only been a few days since he confided in Jack about Toothless, and that had been difficult enough…it was insane to open up even more already…right? He needed to protect himself…needed to keep those walls up.

He met Jack's familiar blue eyes again and as the pale snow-haired teen smiled softly at him, Hiccup felt his resistance being washed away. How did Jack manage to_ do_ that?

He quickly became a little nauseous as he made up his mind about what he had to do. Jack had trusted him with the most painful part of his background and now it was time that he did the same.

"Jack…" Hiccup said hesitantly. Jack merely nodded slowly a few times, encouraging him to speak.

"Do you ever feel like you can't meet someone's expectations?" he asked him, a trace of bitterness lacing his voice, unable to keep it away.

Jack frowned at the unfamiliar tone.

"It happens once in a while…but not often" the white-haired Gryffindor admitted and shrugged.

Hiccup was silent for a while, as he was considering how to explain this to his friend.

"Whose expectations aren't you meeting?" he heard Jack's gentle voice ask.

"My father's"

"Why?" Jack simply asked, sounding very confused.

"He has certain…expectations about what my future should be like. It's pretty much all planned out, but those expectations are very different from what I want" Hiccup explained softly, still not looking Jack in the eye but watching a tree root intently. He was aware that this was another defense mechanism of his…one of the many in his arsenal. This was a sensitive topic for him, and it was going to be difficult to explain it to Jack.

"You shouldn't spend your life unhappy just to please your dad" Jack said softly and Hiccup appreciated the words.

"I know" Hiccup replied, almost whispering. "But it's complicated".

And that was the simple truth. Almost all his life he had been a failure and a disappointment. His ego had been bruised and broken time and time again, and now people were expecting him to be the future leader of a whole Viking tribe…to be confident, to be wise and brave, to be able to make tough decisions that affects everyone on the island, to be an example for all other Vikings…and he wasn't sure at all that he would be able to do that…He was terrified that he would be an unfit leader.

"Hiccup" Jack's voice was soft and soothing and somehow it made Hiccup feel a little better. "Look at me".

Hiccup sighed. He really didn't want to right now…he always felt vulnerable and too exposed when he let people look into his eyes, when he was in a melancholy mood. Hiccup slowly looked up nonetheless, forest-green eyes meeting ice-blue ones.

A ghost of a smile graced Jack's lips and his blue eyes softened.

"Don't live your life for someone else. You say it's complicated, and I'm sure it is….but you have to ask yourself one thing…is this_ your_ life or your dad's life? No matter what happens, don't you think he wants you to be happy?...and even if you actually do disappoint him, he's a grown man. He'll get over it…We _always_ try to plan life out, but unexpected things happen, and we adapt and move on…You have a choice, Hiccup…you can_ choose_ to be happy" Jack spoke calmly, looking him in the eyes.

Hiccup broke the eye contact again, trying to shield himself somehow from his friend's intense gaze. He felt very insecure right now, talking about this with Jack. It was deeply personal and it was an unfamiliar experience sharing this part of himself with someone new. The ones who already knew this, were people who had been in his life for many years.

"I really wish you could tell me what's going on" Jack said in equal measures of concern and resignation, and Hiccup understood how he felt. It must be quite difficult for Jack to be his friend sometimes…never quite knowing everything…being kept at arm's length…but it was all Hiccup could do. It was safe and familiar to _not_ let people in…that way people couldn't betray your trust or take advantage of you.

"I do too, but I can't. Not yet anyway" Hiccup replied quietly and he felt the guilt poke at him. Jack was such a great friend to him and yet…he couldn't fully let him in. He really didn't feel comfortable telling Jack about his future responsibilities, everything that he was supposed to do and be as a Viking leader…that as well as his confused sexuality, his phantom pains, that Toothless was actually here on the grounds, as well as a lot of dragon knowledge were big secrets that he _needed_ to keep guarding.

Hiccup lifted his head once again and found Jack's familiar blue eyes looking intently at him.

"It's okay" Jack answered reassuringly, giving Hiccup a small but warm smile to show him that he really meant it. "You can tell me whenever you're ready".

Then Jack reached out his hand and squeezed his shoulder gently. The touch was warm and comforting and lingered on his shoulder for a little while. Hiccup truly appreciated the affectionate gesture and it _did_ make him feel a little better.

"Thanks Jack" he said quietly and he felt a small smile tugging at the corners of his mouth.

"Look…just for the record…I think you're such a great person, Hic…And you've done a lot more with your life already, than most people here will ever do…it's just…such a shame that you can't see that" Jack said with a mix of warmth and concern in his voice and Hiccup saw nothing but sincerity in those blue eyes.

He felt a tug of soft fondness towards his white-haired friend and then he made a decision and wanted to get it over with, before he could change his mind.

"Jack…" He said hesitantly, observing the pale teen in front of him.

"Yes?"

"Can I tell you a story?" Hiccup asked him, repeating Jack's own words.

Jack smiled fondly at him. "Of course" the Gryffindor replied, mimicking Hiccup's answer.

A few moments of silence passed between the two teenage boys. Hiccup began fidgeting a little, tugging at his braids, while he was mentally preparing himself to tell Jack about something that was quite painful for him to talk about. Jack let him take his time though, which he was grateful for.

"Jack, what do you think of, when you hear the word "Vikings?" he asked his friend, and Jack's brow immediately furrowed in confusion.

"Well…big, burly bearded guys with helmets and axes" the Gryffindor replied.

"Exactly…and that's true for most Vikings…they're big, strong and brave and they know their place in the tribe. They defend the tribe at all costs…against dragons, against enemy tribes, against anything that threatens their society, and they are never afraid of a fight…of pain…of death…in fact, the best death is dying in battle, so you can journey to Valhalla, the greatest honor there is for a Viking…" Hiccup quietly explained.

He could tell that Jack didn't know where he was going with this, so he decided to jump straight to it.

"I was always different." He started speaking again and he forced himself to keep eye contact with Jack and to make sure his voice was steady.

"I was short and scrawny and clumsy…I was hopeless at fighting of any kind, since I could barely lift an axe or a sword properly and my coordination was all over the place. I caused a mess wherever I went, accidentally ruining things all the time. The other Vikings usually tried to avoid me and they were sure to let me know that I was completely useless and a failure…That I wasn't a real Viking…no one wanted to spend time with me or get to know me…" He explained quietly, keeping himself still and leaned against the massive oak tree behind him. Jack's eyes softened in obvious concern and empathy.

"Now…my dad _is _a real Viking…he is big, he is strong, he always puts the tribe before himself…everyone looks up to him. He was always disappointed in me. Every time he looked at me I saw frustration, hopelessness, distance…I was never the son he wanted, that much was clear. We were practically strangers for many years. He rarely spoke to me, and I tried to keep away from him to avoid feeling like a failure. I thought our relationship could never get any worse, but I was wrong…when I did well in the dragon killing classes, my dad became so proud of me. He was practically beaming with hope and joy every time he looked at me. I had never experienced that before, and it felt good to get his recognition…but it was a brief time of peace. Like I told you a few days ago, I became the best in dragon class, and the best student had to kill a dragon in front of the whole village. When I couldn't do it and Toothless came to my rescue, and my dad found out about everything…about how I'd spared him, trained him, made friends with him…he was furious and that look of pure disgust he gave me, I'll never forget…Right before he and the other Vikings sailed away in search of the dragon nest to kill all of them, he told me that I wasn't his son anymore" he told Jack solemnly. Those words had hurt so much and it really wasn't easy repeating them. He tugged slightly on one of his braids, taking a little comfort in the familiar act.

He sighed in relief when he finished the first part of his explanation, feeling a little lighter now that he had gotten it off his chest. Jack winced at his words and looked at him with those caring blue eyes.

"Since Toothless and I defeated the Red Death my dad has actually been proud of me. He told me he was wrong, that he should have never treated me so badly…as did the rest of the village. I was suddenly a hero, and everyone wanted to speak to me, to hear my opinion on things, to get to know me all of the sudden. Since then I've been Berks authority on dragons, and everyone still comes to me for advice on dealing with them and training them. I'm even the leader of the Dragon Training Academy...but I was always a disappointment and a failure until a few years ago when all of this happened. Now my relationship with my dad is finally a lot better…and I might actually have to break it again if I want to be happy" Hiccup finished. His heart was beating a little faster now, as this was unfamiliar territory for him…he wasn't used to letting people in on his emotional damage and even though he knew he could trust Jack, it was still an anxiety inducing experience.

"Hiccup, I…I'm not sure what to say…that was…it…" Jack obviously struggled to explain how he felt about all of this. Hiccup remained quiet and let him gather his thoughts. After all…he had just told Jack some heavy stuff that he probably needed a few moments to process.

"That must have been terrible…" Jack settled on, his soft voice filled with a gentle sadness. "Everyone treating you so horribly, constantly telling you that you weren't good enough…that you weren't worth anything…no wonder you can't even take a compliment without blushing now" Jack finished quietly, his ice blue eyes brimming with equal amounts of concern and fondness.

Hiccup smiled softly at his white-haired friend. "Yeah well…at least it got better. Everyone looks up to me now" he explained. "They all admire me for my relationship with Toothless, for my knowledge about dragons, for my battle with the Red Death…but I'm not sure what will happen, if I choose my own path instead of following the one's that's already planned for me" he finished uncertainly and began fidgeting with the hem of one of his sleeves. This was still very uncomfortable and he felt self-conscious.

"I'm sorry Hiccup…I had no idea that you had all those expectations looming over you" Jack replied, still watching him very intently.

"How could you possibly know? I never told you" Hiccup merely said, shrugging and dismissing Jack's worries. He had in fact been very careful_ not_ to let Jack in on this particular part of his life…but now that door had been opened.

"What about Fishlegs? He wasn't your friend back then? And Astrid?" Jack asked, seemingly still trying to process the fact that Hiccup had been completely alone for most of his life.

"No, they weren't…Fishlegs and I became friends when we started here at Hogwarts, but back home we would always go our separate ways, because his parents didn't want to let him have anything to do with me…and Astrid…she kind of really disliked me back then. She thought I was weak and not a true Viking…just like everyone else" he replied and briefly thought about how it was actually a little strange that he and Astrid had grown so close now, since their relationship had been so troubled in the past.

"Hiccup…how…" Jack started, shaking his head slowly and seeming completely baffled, trying to find the right words.

Hiccup observed the Gryffindor, who remained silent for a few moments and then sighed.

"How do you _not_ hate other people now? You had no one to turn to…no one to tell you that you were good enough just the way you were…no one to _really_ talk to…almost every experience you had with people was a bad one…I just…I can't imagine living like that. At least I always had my parents and Emma and Jamie…and when I lost my parents, I _still_ had my sister and Jamie, and then I found North and Anna. I was never_ alone_" Jack said softly and his pale friend seemed almost hurt by the thought that Hiccup hadn't had those things.

Hiccup shrugged and then sighed deeply. He wasn't really sure what to say to that…why didn't he hate people in general now? He thought about it for a few moments, while Jack watched him in silence.

"You get used to being alone I guess…and…I don't know why I don't hate people now…maybe it's because I know we're _all_ flawed in one way or another…Pretty much everyone on Berk has apologized to me afterwards…told me how much they regret how they acted towards me and even though that doesn't erase everything that happened, it still makes me feel better" he chose to reply.

Jack nodded slowly and a few moments of silence passed between them.

"Look…" Jack then said seriously. "I know you can't tell me everything yet, but…just know that I'm here for you, okay? You can come to me with anything" his pale friend reassured him.

Hiccup felt a small smile tug at his lips, as he took in Jack's words and a soft, gentle affection seemed to flow through his veins. He appreciated Jack's concern. He really was an_ amazing_ friend and Hiccup _did_ feel a little guilty for ever doubting that…but questioning people's motivations had become like second nature to him.

"Thanks Jack…you're a really great friend" Hiccup said quietly but sincerely, his green eyes softening. He wanted to let Jack know that he really appreciated their friendship.

The two boys sat in silence for a while. It wasn't an uncomfortable silence, but an air of understanding between them. They didn't need to speak right now but simply enjoyed each other's presence in the soft glow of the lit lantern. They had shared something painful and personal with each other this night and it had deepened their friendship significantly.

**Author's note: **

So...what did you think? :D Did you like Hiccup's and Jack's bonding moments? And what about the **awkward** ending to their little waterballoon fight? (That was fun to write).

Things are going to be dramatic in the next chapter, when one of our dear boys (yes, only one of them) is pulled out of his denial and realizes just what is going on :)

Translations:

Lǫngubak: Means "Fishbelly" in Old Norse.

Burlufotr: Means "Clumsy Foot" in Old Norse.

Snær Flekkr: Means "speck of snow" in Old Norse, but can also sort of be translated as "Snowflake".

Jól: The Vikings' celebration of the days becoming lighter and milder, as well as fertility and peace, where they drank, ate, prayed- and sacrificed to the gods for the upcoming year to be a good one.

Þǫkk: Means "Thanks" in Old Norse. Is pronounced "Thokk".


	9. Still to come: the worst part

**Author's note:**

Hi everyone! I decided to update even quicker than I usually do this time, because first of all I'd already written several parts of this chapter a while back (I don't work chronologically at all, I jump around in the timeline all the time, working on whatever I feel like), so it didn't take me that long to finish it, and also...I kind of left you guys with that mean spoiler last time (that one of our dear boys is going to be pulled out of his denial in this chapter), so I figured you wouldn't mind the quick update :D

In this chapter, Hiccup is in pain and Jack is worried about him, and then both boys will go through big emotional rollercoasters (although of very different kinds).

I'm SO excited to hear what you think of this chapter, as it's definitely the most emotional one yet. I hope you'll like the way I've decided to make one of them realizes his feelings.

~~~~ Hiccup ~~~~

TIME SKIP: ONE WEEK

He let out a massive yawn and covered his mouth with one hand, as he continued to walk along the stone corridors on his way to Transfiguration. The afternoon sun streamed through the large arch windows, illuminating the old passageways in a soft mild glow. He had really enjoyed Art class with Rapunzel and Mavis as well as Building, Managing and Repairing Magical Objects, but he was pretty tired today, as his late night flight with Toothless yesterday had ended up being a lot longer than he had planned, which cut into his sleep. That was the price of keeping his best friend nearby, but Hiccup would happily be sleep deprived once in a while, as long as he could see Toothless every day. He adjusted his satchel so it hung more comfortably on his shoulder and tried his best to smile politely and greet all the students who were saying hi or waving at him, even though he really wished they would just go back to ignoring him, like before he became popular. Pretending that he was comfortable with all this attention quickly became exhausting, but he didn't want to be rude so he kept up the façade.

Usually he met up with Rapunzel somewhere along the way if they had had different classes before this, but today his blonde friend had been excused from Transfiguration as she had volunteered to help their art professor prepare for a big project that all the art students should participate in next week. Jack and Flynn would be there though, and he was looking forward to talking with them and joking around as usual. Transfiguration had quickly become one of the most amusing classes in his schedule, as Jack and Flynn were always challenging each other to 'laugh offs', where the goal was to get the other to laugh first. That was _very_ entertaining to watch.

As the familiar entrance to the Transfiguration classroom came into view, his whole body froze as a limb that was no longer there was moving toes that no longer existed and a sudden jolt of pain shot through them.

Oh no. Gods no. Not now. Not here.

He didn't even have to think twice to know what this was. The unnerving feeling of having his missing limb back and the zaps of pain were all too familiar. His green eyes darted back and forth from the doors to the classroom and down the corridor. There was no way he was going to make it back to the common room or any other place he could be alone from here. He sighed in resignation and looked around him, taking in his surroundings. Luckily there weren't many students in the passageway right now. That was good. He _really_ didn't want people asking questions. He slowly began taking one step at a time, pained hisses escaping his lips despite his best efforts to restrain them, while it felt like every nerve in his missing limb was constricting in painful spasms.

Covering the short distance to the classroom was agonizing, and he desperately tried avoiding scrunching his face in pained expressions. He didn't want curious looks from anyone. He slumped down on a chair, already feeling completely exhausted as a result of his sleep deprived state and the pain combined. His bones felt heavy inside him, but at least the pain was lessened slightly by sitting down. Why did this have to happen right now? The gods must really hate him…they must absolutely _loathe_ him for this to happen…for one of his most vulnerable sides to be completely exposed right now among other people…This_ always_ happened at night, so why was it suddenly changing now?

He closed his eyes for a few moments while rubbing his temples, trying his best to block out the stabs of pain that continued to plague him with their unwelcome presence. It was no use though. He bit his lip hard in frustration and felt the slight sting, as his teeth clenched the sensitive skin. He opened his eyes again and sighed deeply, as he stared at the table in front of him. Gods, how was he going to get out of this mess?

He suddenly sensed movement out of the corner of his eye, as a flash of white appeared. Just his luck. Jack was probably going to notice that he seemed off.

"Hey Hic" Jack's familiar voice said warmly and Flynn shot him a friendly "Hey", as the two Gryffindors sat down next to him. He didn't meet his friends' eyes. It was easier to pretend that nothing was wrong, if he could avoid eye contact. That whole "the eyes are the window to the soul" thing might be cliché, but it definitely had some truth behind it.

"Hi" he forced himself to reply, as he didn't want any questions from his two friends. He tried his best to sound casual, but he knew that he had failed, as soon as the words left his mouth. He sounded way too tired and strained to pass as 'casual'. Great. Now there was going to be questions. Jack was not going to let it go, he somehow just knew it.

"What's wrong?" Jack asked curiously. Hiccup was still not looking at his friend, but he could hear the obvious concern in the pale teen's voice. He felt his stomach drop. He had had a tiny glimmer of hope that Jack wouldn't ask him that…that he could feel some relief wash over him, as Jack simply ignored the fact that Hiccup's words were strained and his body language was tense and constricted…but of course that wasn't what happened.

"Nothing" Hiccup replied and clenched his jaw. He really did _not_ want to talk to Jack right now…or anyone else for that matter…He needed all of his focus to deal with this unnerving, agonizing pain that continued its insistent throbbing sensations. He needed to restrain the urge to cry out and scream in equal amounts of pain and anger by the frustrating prospect of having this probably be a part of his life for many years to come.

"That's not true. What's wrong?" Jack said insistently, and Hiccup could practically hear his white-haired friend's mind racing, trying to come up with scenarios as to why he was acting this way. He still didn't meet Jack's eyes, but he felt his blue gaze burn into his skin. He feared that his last resolve would crumble, if he looked into those familiar, comforting blue eyes and that he would somehow end up revealing the state he was in. That couldn't happen. He clenched his fists tightly, his knuckles turning white, as he continued to push down the pain.

"Nothing, Jack" he said, his voice firm. He began scratching his good leg _hard _under the table as a way of busying himself, digging his nails into the skin, trying desperately to take just a little of his focus away from his missing limb.

He knew that none of this was Jack's fault. He knew that he should probably just explain things to him, but he didn't. He couldn't. All he could do to get through this was to keep others away. He couldn't handle their questions, their concerned words, their curious eyes, even though he knew they meant well. It was too much right now. He could barely handle the pain and the frustration in itself.

"Come on, you can tell me. Maybe I can help" the pale teen's voice said soothingly. Jack was being his usual caring self, Hiccup's mind knew this. He knew it, but he couldn't shake the need of getting him to back off.

"Leave…it…alone" He said slowly and he didn't bother to conceal the annoyance in his voice. Gods, he was weak right now, and it was so pathetic that he took it out on his friend...but Jack needed to back off. Right now. If he didn't, Hiccup might end up saying something he would regret and hate himself for later.

"Come on, Hiccup…something is obviously wrong" Jack said and his voice had taken on an authoritative tone that Hiccup had never heard him use before. Great. Jack wasn't letting it go…he was trying to get Hiccup to let him in…but this was too personal.

He needed to be alone. Now. He needed to find some way of dealing with this.

He immediately got to his feet again, the action causing another sharp jolt through the missing limb and he bit down on his bottom lip to avoid letting a pained hiss escape his mouth. It took all of his willpower to push it down and try to appear somewhat normal. He slung his bag over his shoulder and by some luck, he managed to make it to one of the tables in the back and sit there instead. With every single step his missing foot reminded him that he was never going to be truly rid of it. It might be physically absent, but it could still manipulate his mind, making him feel the limb reappearing and causing every vessel in it to hurt. He vaguely heard Jack call his name, but he ignored it and shoved away the sudden sinking feeling of guilt. He didn't meet the Gryffindor's eyes, as he sat down by the new table and slung his bag up on it. He knew that Jack would probably look hurt and rejected and Hiccup _really _didn't need a guilt-trip on top of everything else right now. He just needed to get through this. He needed to get through the next 45 minutes somehow. He had to focus...but then what? He would need to somehow make it back to the common room or somewhere else, where he could have some privacy while he dealt with this. Right now, he wasn't at all sure that he could make it by himself and that thought caused a sudden nausea to rise within his gut.

Hiccup mentally thanked the gods that the class today was a lecture with no practical exercises, as he definitely wouldn't have been able to participate in that. If he'd had to get the professor's attention and get himself excused from doing the exercises, he would not only draw the attention of Jack and Flynn but also get that familiar, hated sting of feeling weak and inadequate. He sighed deeply. He was so _damn_ tired of that particular demon sticking out its ugly head, making sure to stab holes in his ego, every time he appeared content...the demon that maliciously whispered evil words to him. How he was weak. Helpless. Useless. He _knew_ it was ridiculous…that it was just a result of his past as an outcast, but he still couldn't shake it off.

He truly did his best to pay attention as professor Hyde made some illustrations on the blackboard, but all he could take in was the hurting, throbbing pulsations. It was like his missing limb had a sick, twisted life of its own.

Somehow, Hiccup actually managed to just sit there through the whole class, but it had taken every single ounce of willpower in his body, and he had deliberately avoided looking at Jack and Flynn the whole time, not wanting to see their questioning looks or concerned expressions. When there were five minutes left, he quietly stuck his textbook down into his black satchel, closed it and slung it over one shoulder, still sitting down. He needed to be ready to leave as soon as he possibly could. He was beginning to feel claustrophobic and suffocated, as he was trapped in this classroom trying his best to deal with his current situation.

As soon as professor Hyde dismissed the class, he got to his feet and walked out of the classroom, hissing with every single step but determined to make it out of there somehow and fast. He tried his best to avoid contorting his face in pain but failed.

He could only make it about 10 meters (30 feet) down the old stone corridor, hobbling in pain every step of the way, before he knew that his legs were about to give in. Thankfully there weren't many students out in the hallways yet to see him like this. His eyes darted around his surroundings, trying to find some kind of solution. He spotted the rarely used corridor to the left and used his last energy and willpower to limp a little way down that passageway, before slumping down on the floor, leaning against the cool, stone wall. He closed his eyes and stretched out his legs. This helped a little, but the sharp, insistent throbs kept on pulsing through his non-existent foot. His missing limb was forcing him to feel its presence, despite his awareness that it was not real. The sudden feeling of moving toes sent a burning sensation through the skin.

He knew it wasn't real. He knew it wasn't there…that it was just his brain getting pain signals all mixed up as a result of the amputation…None of that helped him though. The pain was real.

"Hiccup?" he suddenly heard a familiar, slightly deep voice say hesitantly from somewhere in front of him. He kept his eyes closed tightly and sighed in defeat. Of course Jack had found him.

A part of him was actually a little relieved that his friend was here now…but another part of him was very worried and frustrated.

"Hi Jack" he replied quietly, still keeping his eyes closed. He could hear the other boy plopping his bag down on the floor and approach him, soft footsteps scraping across stone.

"Heey" Jack said soothingly. "Look at me, Hiccup". He could sense Jack was somewhere close to him by the warmth of his presence and the sound of his voice.

Hiccup forced himself to open his tired green eyes and as he did, he found himself looking directly into Jack's blue, worried gaze, as the pale Gryffindor had crouched down to face him properly.

"What's going on, Hiccup? Please tell me" Jack pleaded softly with him, and his usually carefree face was marred by the furrowing of his brow and the wrinkling of his nose that indicated the confusion and the worry within. Oh, how Hiccup really didn't like that he had put that look on Jack's face…

He was really touched that Jack was so worried about him, but he also wished that he could deal with this alone. In this moment though, he realized that he couldn't. There was no way he was going to make it anywhere from here without help.

He sighed deeply in resignation, but it was cut short as a sharp jolt of pain shot through him, overpowering the other pulsations, and he hissed loudly and angrily in pain, biting down hard on his lower lip to keep himself from crying out. Immediately the familiar metallic taste of blood seeped into his mouth, coating his taste buds and he realized that he must have bit his lip harder than he intended.

As his breathing became erratic as a consequence of the sudden painful zap, he forced himself to take some deep breaths, trying to steady it. Jack was observing him with those piercing blue eyes that were currently analyzing everything that was going on. He could tell that the Gryffindor's brain had put the puzzle pieces together.

"You're in pain" Jack said quietly, blue orbs softening in obvious worry.

"Yes" Hiccup replied. There was no turning back now. He knew that he would need to trust Jack with this…the choice had been taken out of his hands and he would need to spill another secret. This time though…it wasn't willingly.

"How bad is it?" Jack asked softly, still observing him with those concerned eyes.

"Very" Hiccup said and closed his eyes again, somehow finding the darkness comforting right now.

"What can I do to help?" he heard Jack's voice say.

"Take the painkilling potion from my bag…"

He heard the immediate, urgent rustling of Jack going through his black satchel. Then he felt the brush of tingling skin, and something cold being placed in his palm, and he knew that it was the familiar vial. He opened his tired eyes once again and looked at it. He took the lid off and downed it in one quick go, grimacing slightly at the horrible taste.

The loud sounds of students rushing through the corridors began to fill the air, making Hiccup feel stressed. They were all on their way to their next classes, and he really hoped that none of them would come down this passageway.

"There" Jack said with a gentle smile, once again crouching in front of him. "You're going to be better in a minute" he finished optimistically.

Oh, how Hiccup wished that was true.

"No" he said, clenching his jaw.

"What?" Jack asked in confusion, furrowing his brow and looking Hiccup over, as if he was searching for some obvious injury that he had missed.

"It…it only takes the edge off" he explained, getting more and more tired by the minute. He was actually struggling now to get words out from the combination of pain, fatigue and mental frustration. It was almost like his brain wasn't cooperating properly with his mouth anymore.

"Then you need to get some more" Jack argued, gesturing with his hands as if it was obvious.

"Won't help" he replied exhaustedly and let out a deep sigh. He really wished that he could just go to sleep right now and wake up when the pain was gone. The frustrating pulsations kept throbbing in his missing foot though, so that wasn't possible.

"Hiccup, just tell me what's going on?" Jack had leaned slightly forward and gave him a gentle squeeze on his shoulder. The gesture was comforting and safe, but Hiccup couldn't fully appreciate his friend's affection right now due to the amount of pain he was in.

He was silent for a while, as the noises of students in the hallways were beginning to die down, signaling that classes were about to begin and that fewer and fewer people were in the corridors. Good. That was good.

He sighed to himself, while Jack continued to watch him attentively with obvious worry in every feature of his face. Was he really going to tell Jack about this? He didn't want to, but he couldn't figure out what else to do. It didn't seem like there was any other way. He knew that he could trust Jack, but this was about more than trust…it was about how difficult it would be to actually tell him about this, because it made him feel so goddamn weak.

"Do you know what phantom pain is?" Hiccup asked quietly, meeting Jack's concerned gaze with his dull green eyes.

As soon as the words left his mouth, he could see Jack's blue eyes widen for a few seconds and his jaw drop. So he did know. Good. Hiccup felt a slight relief wash over him, as he wasn't sure he had enough energy right now to explain the whole concept.

"I'm so sorry Hiccup…I'm sorry…" Jack spoke softly, his voice brimming with empathy.

"Not your fault"

"We need to get you away from here. I'll help you get to the common room" Jack said, looking up and down the corridor for a few moments. Hiccup nodded mutely. Jack swiftly got to his feet, picked up both their bags and slung them over his shoulders. He reached out his hand for Hiccup to take, and he pulled him to his feet. Hiccup couldn't restrain the wince that contorted his entire face then.

Jack placed his arm around his waist. "Just try not to put too much pressure on the bad leg. I'll help you" the pale Gryffindor said soothingly. Hiccup nodded in confirmation, and then they began their slow and clumsy walk down the corridor.

Hiccup was incredibly grateful that the next classes had already begun, so the hallways were deserted now. He_ really_ didn't want anyone to see him like this. Jack's firm grip on his waist as well as the painkilling potion had managed to relieve the pain a little bit, enough for him to be able to hobble slowly next to the snow-haired teen, as they made their way towards the Ravenclaw tower.

It felt like an eternity, before they reached the familiar portrait by the Ravenclaw common room. Hiccup mumbled the answer to the riddle, and the portrait swung open, revealing the large common room in blue and grey nuances with the high dome ceiling painted like the night sky.

"Wow…I've never been in here before" Jack said sounding impressed, still holding Hiccup tightly by the waist to help him hobble along towards the staircase leading to the dormitory. "It's very different from the Gryffindor common room".

Hiccup just gave him a weak smile in return, not really being able to focus on chitchat right now, but his pale friend didn't seem to mind.

Jack quickly and efficiently helped him limp up the old, creaking staircase and Hiccup felt relief wash over him as he spotted his bed. The pain wouldn't go away just by lying down but it would help and any kind of relief would be soothing for his mind and body.

Jack assisted him all the way to the bed, making sure to support him properly, so he wouldn't fall. As he lied down and let his body rest against the soft mattress, his missing limb was letting its painful grip loosen just a little bit.

"Thanks Jack" he mumbled weakly but genuinely, his eyes closed now, letting the darkness comfort his mind. He was truly grateful for Jack's help. Without him he never would have made it back here.

"Any time…" Jack spoke softly, as if he didn't want to disturb him.

"Please don't tell Fishlegs and Rapunzel…or Astrid. They'll only worry".

Hiccup didn't like keeping secrets from his friends, but he didn't want to cause them any distress, and there wasn't anything they could help him with anyway, so it would just make them feel frustrated and helpless. At least that's how he would feel if one of them were in pain, and he couldn't do anything to soothe it.

"Are you sure it's a good idea to keep it from them?" Jack asked and his tone revealed that he didn't agree with that.

No, he wasn't sure at all, but that was how it had to be right now.

"Yes. I can handle this by myself" he found himself saying…which was true in its own way.

"Well, they're going to know that something is wrong when neither of us come to class?" Jack argued.

Hiccup sighed and opened his eyes again, watching Jack stand by the side of his bed looking down at him with those concerned eyes. "Right…I guess there's no way to keep it from them then…" he said, slightly breathless as he still had a little trouble getting words out.

"Is it really so bad for them to know?" Jack asked him, tilting his head of white hair.

"I just…prefer dealing with this alone" Hiccup replied tiredly and that was the truth.

"Well, I'm not leaving" Jack said insistently and then shrugged.

"What?" Hiccup blurted out, confusion lacing his voice. What was he talking about?

"I'm not leaving, Hic. I'm staying here. Someone needs to keep an eye on you right now" Jack explained with his hands on his hips to show his determination.

Hiccup sighed. He understood that Jack was concerned and he really _did _appreciate it…he would do exactly the same thing if the situation was reversed...but he just couldn't shake off that slight pang of frustration of once again feeling like someone who needed to be watched over.

"How long does this usually last?" Jack asked when Hiccup remained silent, watching him with those intense blue eyes.

"A few hours" he responded and then let out a yawn. It was really tiring dealing with this, and he had already been sleep deprived from the start.

"Okay. I'll go to headmaster Lunar and explain the situation, and then I'll get both of us excused from classes for the rest of the day."

Hiccup opened his mouth to argue that Jack didn't need to stay with him, but the pale teen in front of him obviously predicted this, as he quickly spoke first.

"And _don'_t even bother to try and talk me out of it" Jack said firmly and pointed a finger at him.

Hiccup knew when he had been beaten and he could tell from the determined look in Jack's eyes that there was no use in arguing with him. He didn't have the energy anyway, he was doing all he could to deal with the pain signals that were constantly jabbing through his non-existent limb.

Jack left the Ravenclaw tower with the promise of returning as quickly as possible. Hiccup just lay motionless on his bed with closed eyes, as he tried his best to force his body to relax, to try and drown out the horrible pulsations. He inhaled and exhaled slowly and deeply, focusing intently on his breathing, as it always seemed to help when he got that under control.

He had no idea how much time passed, but when Jack returned, he placed himself on the edge of Hiccup's bed, making sure to give him some space to stretch out properly. Jack let him know that they had been excused from classes for the rest of the day, and that professor Lunar told him to feel better soon. Hiccup was relieved that he didn't have to go to any classes as long as he felt like this, but at the same time he hadn't expected the headmaster to say no. Professor Lunar knew that he had a prosthetic, so it wasn't that big of a leap to conclude that he also had phantom pains…after all…that happened to most people who had had an amputation.

"How often does this happen?" Jack asked hesitantly, as if the question might unsettle him.

"Not_ that_ often anymore…maybe…twice a month" He replied strained and sighed deeply.

Jack nodded slowly. "Why doesn't more painkilling potion help?" his pale friend then asked him in confusion.

"I don't know, Jack…it's just…phantom pains are very different from person to person and there aren't any treatments that work for everyone...there's still a lot that's not understood about it" he replied quietly. Gods, it was difficult to get that many words out suddenly.

"And you always deal with this by yourself?" Jack asked with raised eyebrows that clearly showed that he didn't like that idea at all.

"Yeah…"

"That's just…stupid, Hiccup. Seriously, how have you been able to do that? You couldn't even walk when I found you" Jack asked, gesturing with his hands and with obvious confusion and skepticism in his tone.

"It…usually happens at night…when I've taken off my prosthetic" he explained. He briefly remembered all of those nights, where he did his best to restrain himself from crying out when the pain suddenly reared its ugly head, when everyone else was snoring peacefully around him. Those nights were horrible.

"Oh…so you just lie on your bed in pain while everyone is sleeping?" Jack asked with a trace of disapproval in his voice, that Hiccup definitely wasn't used to hearing.

"Uhm, yeah…"

"Seriously Hiccup, how can someone _so_ smart be _so_ stupid?" Jack replied and shook his head slowly.

"Why should I wake up Fishlegs, when he can't do anything about it anyway?" he argued. He had considered waking up Fishlegs several times, when he'd had those painful nights, but his friend wouldn't be able to help him.

"He would want to know, Hiccup…and it might help you to have a friend by your side".

Hiccup shrugged and stared at the ceiling, while continuing to lie down on the soft mattress. He wasn't sure if Jack was right or not. On one hand, it would be nice to have someone be there for him, when this was happening. On the other hand, he didn't like people seeing him like this and it might only worry and frustrate his friends.

When Hiccup remained silent, Jack spoke again.

"Do Rapunzel and Fishlegs and Astrid even know you have phantom pains?"

"They know…I just don't tell them when" He replied quietly, still staring at the ceiling.

He heard Jack sigh. "From now on, you're not dealing with this alone. I won't let you".

Hiccup stayed silent. He really wasn't sure how to respond right now. He was getting more and more tired. He knew that he couldn't sleep until the pain subsided, but he desperately wanted to. He wanted to retreat into the safe world of dreaming, where he could get relief from all of this.

"Look…" Jack continued. "You should really be able to ask for help, when you obviously need it. Geez Hiccup, I'm your friend. Rapunzel and Fishlegs are your friends…and Astrid. We all just want to help you and be there for you. You could have just told me in class that you were in pain, and I would've helped you get back here immediately, so you didn't have to sit through the whole thing" Jack explained with a hint of frustration in his voice.

"I know" Hiccup said softly, as he trained his eyes on his pale snow-haired friend. Jack really was an incredible friend, he thought fondly. He would have ditched class and risked getting detention to help him back here, and he insisted on staying by his side now.

"So why didn't you just tell me? And why don't you want me to tell the others?"

Hiccup didn't answer. He felt that familiar pang of guilt from having kept things from his friends. He knew that he shouldn't, but it was just…complicated to deal with this.

"Come on Hiccup, you can trust me, can't you?" Jack asked softly, his blue eyes pleading with him to let him in, to trust him with this. Gods, why was it so difficult to resist that look? Jack had some kind of special ability to break down his walls quicker than anyone ever had and that was_ really_ unnerving.

"It's…you probably won't understand but…I don't want to seem weak or helpless" he said hesitantly. There. It was out there. There was no taking it back. By Thor, how he hated feeling so vulnerable.

"_That's_ what all the secrecy about being in pain is about? You think we'll see you as weak?" Jack asked with wide blue eyes, disbelief lacing his voice.

"No…I don't know. I just don't want that feeling…" Hiccup knew that he was kind of rambling, but the exhaustion and the pain confused his mind right now.

"What feeling?" Jack tilted his head.

"That feeling…being useless…helpless…unable to take care of myself" he clarified.

A few moments of silence passed between the two teens as Jack obviously thought about what Hiccup had just revealed to him. He could tell that puzzle pieces were clicking into place in Jack's mind.

"Look Hiccup…I understand, okay?" Jack began, his voice soft and kind. "Everyone's always told you that you weren't worth anything and you couldn't do anything right or defend yourself if your life depended on it…so it makes sense that you're trying to fight all your battles alone now…but…we're your friends. We care about you. We would never think you were weak" Jack explained gently and the words somehow soothed Hiccup's mind a little.

"I know…but I do" he replied, almost a whisper.

"Well, you need to pull yourself together then and get those stupid thoughts out of your head. I don't know how bad the pain is, but…you're_ not_ weak for being affected by it, you're only human".

"I know…" Hiccup replied tiredly and rubbed his eyes with one of his hands.

"So why do you insist on doing all of this alone?" Jack asked him.

Hiccup took a few moments to gather his thoughts and then sighed deeply.

"I just…I'm able to defend myself now…to take care of myself…except for this…this is…I can't help it, I can't control it…" he tried to explain, wanting Jack to understand that loss of control was something he had a lot of trouble dealing with.

"I know" Jack replied gently and then sighed a little. "But there's nothing wrong with that. No one can control everything…and no one can do everything alone".

Hiccup remained silent, as he took in Jack's words. Of course his white-haired friend was right. He knew that. It was just…easier said than done to let people in…especially on this.

"Please just…trust me with this from now on, okay? If you're in pain just let me know. I don't have to tell the others if you don't want me to…I still think you should let them know, but I get that you have your reasons…but you have to get some help somehow, when it gets too bad" Jack told him and his blue eyes conveyed nothing but sincerity and concern.

"Jack…I can't let you do that" he said tiredly, as he observed his pale friend still sitting on the corner of his bed.

"Why not?" Jack asked, his brow furrowed, as he crossed his arms defiantly. He was clearly not giving up on this.

"It's not your responsibility" Hiccup shrugged. He really didn't want to be a burden for anyone…he'd had enough of that in his past.

Jack scoffed. "It's not about responsibility, Hic. You're my friend and I want to help you, it's as simple as that. I don't like my friends being in pain".

"Yeah, but-"

"Hiccup" Jack said in a stern manner that was very out of character for the mischievous prankster. "From now on…when you get phantom pains, let me know and I'll help you".

"I can't wake you up in the middle of the night, because I'm in pain, Jack. Besides, you'll get detention if you wander around the castle at night" Hiccup argued, his tired green eyes watching Jack, as the pulsations in his non-existent foot kept shooting through it. Gods, how he just wanted it to _stop_.

"Sneaking around is one of my specialties, Hic…and you_ will_ let me know from now on" Jack insisted and then reached into his pocket and pulled out a small object.

"What's that?" Hiccup asked his pale friend.

"It's enchanted. Me and Mavis both have some serious nightmares once in a while, and we use it and one like it, whenever one of us wake up and need someone to talk to. When you click it the matching one set off a noise. Not loud enough to wake up the whole dormitory of course, but enough to wake up the person next to it. And you can also spell out a message on it. So if you're in pain in the middle of the night, write the answer to the riddle from the portrait, and I'll be here. When it happens again, you better let me know" Jack told him and the look of pure determination in his eyes told Hiccup that it was no use arguing.

Hiccup reached out and closed his fingers around the small object, taking it from Jack. The brush of skin tickled his hand a little.

"I don't even get a say in this, do I?" He asked with the faintest ghost of a smile gracing his lips, as he placed the small object on his nightstand.

"Nope" Jack stated and smirked in that familiar way of his.

Hiccup rubbed his green eyes with one of his sleeves.

"Fine" he replied, resigned to his fate of having Jack watch over him next time those horrible, familiar pains would jab through his missing limb. He was touched by Jack's insistence to help him though…even if he didn't like people seeing him like this.

A few moments of silence descended on them, and Hiccup watched Jack stare at a particular spot on the wall for a while, clearly in contemplation. Then his white-haired friend turned his head and met his eyes again.

"Hic…?" Jack asked, sounding uncertain.

"Yeah?" he replied, not sure he would like where this was going.

"I don't know if you're comfortable answering this, but…how much of…your leg is actually gone?" Jack asked quietly, obviously wondering whether he was asking something inappropriate.

That was a strange question…but on the other hand it made sense for Jack to have wondered about that. After all…he had never seen his prosthetic.

Hiccup pointed to the place where his prosthetic met the rest of his leg and Jack observed the movement intently and then nodded in response.

"So it_ is_ actually some of your leg too and not just the foot?" the Gryffindor asked, obviously wanting confirmation.

"Yeah…I just don't like saying prosthetic leg or missing leg, because it makes it sound like the whole thing is gone…when it's really only a bit of it…" Hiccup replied, explaining his thoughts.

"Yeah, you're right…it does kind of sound like that" Jack agreed and stayed silent for a few moments.

"Anyway…try to get some rest, okay? I know you can't sleep right now, since the pain is too much, but just try to relax…I'll stay here" his pale friend told him.

"Okay" Hiccup replied tiredly, not bothering to argue. Just having this conversation had been very difficult and exhausting, not just because of the pain and his problems getting words out but also because of the emotional aspect of it.

Hiccup closed his eyes once more and just focused on keeping his breathing steady, as breathing techniques often helped with pain. Jack remained by his side, just sitting quietly on one of the corners of his bed. Somehow his presence was soothing and comforting and Hiccup found himself feeling a little better, despite the hurting pulsations that kept tormenting him.

~~~~ Jack ~~~~

Jack sighed softly to himself as he leaned back on one of the bedposts. He had been beyond disturbed and worried to find out that Hiccup suffered from phantom pains. When he had found the brunet teen slumped against a wall in a corridor, his eyes closed tightly and his entire body tense and constricted, he had felt a wave of sadness and concern wash over him. It was pure luck that Jack had spotted him out of the corner of his eye as he had passed by, making his way to his next class. He didn't want to think about what could have happened, if he hadn't found Hiccup there. Flynn had seen Hiccup as well and been visibly concerned, but Jack had told him to get to class, as Hiccup wouldn't want all the attention. The Ravenclaw had made it pretty clear in Transfiguration that he _really_ didn't want to let people in on what was going on with him right now. Jack had picked up on the fact that Hiccup obviously felt vulnerable, but he hadn't known why at the time.

Now he was sitting on Hiccup's bed. He had stayed by his friend's side for about two hours, while Hiccup tried to just relax and ignore the pain. They exchanged a few words here and there, but Hiccup wasn't really in a talkative mood…not that Jack could blame him at all. When the brunet finally drifted off into the sleeping world, Jack had been relieved that he got some rest. Being in pain was exhausting, and it had definitely taken its toll on Hiccup. He had seemed so…fragile, and it was very unsettling to see him like that. He was usually strong and capable.

As he briefly watched Hiccup sleep, the Viking's chest rising and falling evenly, his lips slightly parted, he thought about everything Hiccup told him that night about a week ago. He had been disowned by his own father after an entire life of being an outsider…No one ever bothered to get to know him at all…Jack couldn't even begin to comprehend what sort of emotional damage that must have inflicted on his friend. Hiccup's self-esteem problems must definitely have started with these fragile, devastating moments of childhood…always being told he wasn't good enough, that he couldn't do anything right, that he wasn't really one of them. It was no wonder that he tried to do everything by himself now.

After a while, Jack had begun to occupy himself by flipping through some of Hiccup's sketchbooks, observing all the beautiful, detailed drawings in them. He knew that it would be okay with the Ravenclaw, as he had done it before and Hiccup had told him it was fine. Currently he was letting his eyes take in an amazing drawing of Toothless lying in the sun relaxing, the mild rays illuminating his black scales and his face in peaceful folds.

Suddenly Hiccup caught his attention, as the brunet began turning in his sleep. Jack put down the book on the bed and turned his head to observe Hiccup. The dragon rider's brow was furrowed and he began to mumble in distress.

"_Brenna hamr.._."

If it wasn't because his friend was obviously in discomfort, Jack would have found it amusing that Hiccup actually spoke old norse in his sleep. More than ever, he now wished that he understood the ancient Viking language, so he could get some idea of what was upsetting Hiccup in his dreams.

"Sshhh…Hiccup….just relax…you're okay, you're okay" Jack said quietly and soothingly to his friend to reassure him and calm him down. He scooted closer to Hiccup and watched him with concern in his eyes.

The brunet kept squirming in his sleep. "_Brenna hamr…_" he muttered, along with a string of pained noises. Jack mentally noted the words, hoping he could remember them later to tell Hiccup about it and get him to translate it.

"Hiccup…calm down…I'm here with you…I'm right here" Jack continued to soothe the Ravenclaw, who was still battling something conjured by his subconscious. "Don't worry, just relax…I'm right here…"

Hiccup mumbled some incomprehensible words that Jack couldn't even hear properly, but he was sure that it was more old norse. Hiccup's brow was still furrowed and his voice sounded disturbed. He was beginning to sweat, tiny little droplets appearing on his forehead. Jack leaned in and gently wiped them away with his sleeve.

"Hic, just relax…Nothing's gonna hurt you, okay? You're safe here" Jack said as calmly and gently as he possibly could.

Hiccup's squirming slowly ceased and the wrinkle in his forehead smoothed out, as his distress seemed to subside. Jack let out a relieved sigh. The dragon rider's face was once again in peaceful folds, not a trace left behind from the anxiety he had just been engulfed in. Jack scooted closer to the sleeping teen and reached out his hand. He gently stroked Hiccup's brown hair a few times, feeling the soft locks tingle his fingertips, before retracting his hand once again. He wasn't quite sure why he did it. He somehow just wanted to do_ something_ to reassure himself that Hiccup was okay now. When Jack had last had a nightmare about his parents' death, Hiccup had told him that he knew what it was like to have recurring nightmares. Maybe this was one of those nightmares.

After a little while of just keeping an eye on Hiccup, Jack went back to look at the drawings in the sketchbooks, while his friend slept for two hours, before drawing attention to himself once again, this time by slowly sitting up. The brunet blinked a few times to focus his vision and then rubbed his eyes with his hands.

"How are you feeling?" Jack asked with concern, observing him intently, while putting down the sketchbook he had been flipping through.

"Better…" Hiccup said genuinely and gave him a small smile.

"Good" Jack replied happily, his lips twitching. That was a relief.

"How long was I asleep?"

"About three hours".

Hiccup nodded slowly and he seemed to be in a much better state now. He didn't look as fragile and pained anymore, he didn't have trouble speaking and his face wasn't marred by exhaustion and frustration. That was a really good change.

"Are you still in pain?" Jack asked, tilting his head of snow-white hair a little.

"No…just a little tired" Hiccup shrugged with a small smile.

Jack nodded, a smile tugging at his lips. That was good…the pain was finally over. "You had a nightmare" he then said to his Viking friend, deciding to just tell him about it.

"I did?" Hiccup asked and let out a massive yawn, covering his mouth with a hand. He didn't seem too bothered by that information.

"Yeah…you don't remember?"

"No, not really" Hiccup shrugged.

"Well, you were sort of…speaking old norse" Jack told the Ravenclaw, feeling a bit uncertain of what he was about to find out about the dreams Hiccup had had.

"What?...Can you remember what I said?" Hiccup seemed genuinely confused now. Maybe he usually never talked in his sleep? Or maybe it was just rare that he spoke old norse while dreaming.

"I could only really hear some of it…_brenna hamr?_" Jack explained and hoped that he was pronouncing it correctly.

Hiccups brow immediately furrowed and he looked away from Jack and out the window in contemplation.

"What does it mean?" Jack asked, watching Hiccup for any kind of reaction that he could try to decode.

Hiccup remained silent for a few moments, staring out the window.

"Burning skin" he then replied quietly, still not looking at Jack.

Well, that wasn't good…

"Do you have any idea why you would say that?" Jack asked, eager to know what was going through Hiccup's mind right now.

Hiccup turned his head and trained his green eyes on him once again. "Yeah…there are two possibilities I guess…but I was probably dreaming about the time I fell into a sea of flames".

"I thought you were unconscious when that happened?" Jack asked, tilting his head and scrunching his face in confusion.

"I wasn't unconscious the whole time. I remember…tiny fragments" Hiccup explained, still seeming to be contemplating something about this dream of his.

Jack nodded in response. "That would make sense…" he said quietly. "What's the other possibility?"

"That I was dreaming about the phantom pains" Hiccup told him.

"Why? Does it feel like burning?" Jack asked with concern lacing his voice. He had no idea what phantom pain felt like, and Hiccup hadn't had the energy to explain it to him.

"Sometimes it does" Hiccup replied and shrugged. He seemed very calm right now talking about this, which wasn't what Jack had expected.

"Do you want me to tell Rapunzel and Fishlegs about the pains? Or…do you want to do it yourself?" Jack asked his friend, eager to help him with anything he needed. He knew their friends needed to be told _something_ about what had happened, but he wasn't sure if Hiccup was up for it any time soon.

"You can tell them, if you're okay with it…I don't really feel like talking about it anymore".

Jack nodded. "I'm guessing you want to stay up here for the rest of the day?"

"Yeah…Well…I don't _want _to, but…if I don't rest after something like this…It can trigger more pain" Hiccup explained, gesturing with his hands in that familiar way of his.

"Yeah…we can't have that, Hic" Jack said genuinely. "Well…just try to get some more sleep or at least just stay in bed, okay? I'm going to go calm our friends down…they're probably all really worried".

Hiccup nodded slowly and then lied back down. "Thanks Jack" he said with a warm smile twitching his lips a little.

"No problem at all, Hic…" he replied fondly.

When he left the Ravenclaw tower, he_ did_ feel slightly uneasy, as he descended several of the old stone staircases to find their friends, even though Hiccup was clearly feeling a lot better. Somehow Jack still wanted to be beside him. However…he knew he couldn't stay there all day. After all…he needed food, he needed to explain the situation to their friends, and he also had the feeling that Hiccup really didn't like being watched for that long at a time.

As he had made it down several flights of stairs and were now walking through one of the old stone corridors, he thought that his friends would probably be by the lake right now. After all…that was their usual hang out spot at this time in the afternoon, when classes had ended, so that was his best bet.

He met a few people he knew on the way out to the castle entrance, and he waved and smiled at them, even though his thoughts were still occupied with concerns about Hiccup. He really was something else…always trying to do everything by himself…keeping those massive emotional walls up to keep everyone out…but at least he had let Jack in on this. Well, obviously not really by choice, since he could barely walk when Jack had found him in the corridor, but still.

As he exited the magical castle and felt the chilly autumn wind on his face, he began making his way towards the large body of water, where he would most likely find his friends. His shoes scraped across soft, green grass and he took a deep breath and let the cold, brisk air reach his lungs before he exhaled.

Just as he had expected, he quickly found the people he was looking for. His three best friends as well as Rapunzel and Fishlegs were all sitting together next to the clear, blue lake, seemingly occupied by a serious conversation, by the looks on all their faces.

As he came nearer, Rapunzel turned her head and spotted him and said something to the others, who immediately looked his way as well. They all had their eyes trained on him, and when he was by their side and had sat down next to Flynn, Rapunzel wasted no time in starting to interrogate him.

"What happened to Hiccup? Is he okay? Flynn told us that something was bothering him and that you found him sitting in one of the corridors and stayed with him, but none of you showed up for the rest of the classes? You had us worried sick! Where is he now? Did something happen? Did-"

"Rapunzel!" Jack exclaimed, cutting off the blonde girl's rambling. "I can't really answer _anything _if you don't give me some time to actually speak" he finished with a tiny, amused smirk.

"Right…" Rapunzel said sheepishly and then remained quiet. "Sorry…I'm just worried".

"Hiccup's just having some trouble with his leg, so I helped him back to the dormitory and stayed with him" Jack tried to reassure the other teens, not wanting to divulge the fact that Hiccup had phantom pains. That wasn't something that he had the right to tell his friends, and Hiccup had been very clear that he didn't want to worry Rapunzel and Fishlegs, even though they already knew about it.

The other teens all nodded in understanding.

"Should we go back there and keep him company?" Fishlegs asked him with worry evident in his blue eyes, fidgeting a little with one of his sleeves.

"Nah, he's getting some sleep now." Jack said and that fact seemed to make the other teens relax, especially Rapunzel and Fishlegs.

"That's good…" Fishlegs replied and nodded slowly a few times to himself. "We were really worried but we had no idea where you were…usually when something's bothering Hiccup, he goes outside".

"Yeah, I know, but he couldn't really do that and it was better if he got some rest" Jack explained to the blonde Viking.

"True…I'm just relieved he's okay" Fishlegs said and Rapunzel nodded eagerly next to him.

"He's okay. Don't worry" Jack confirmed and gave the two Ravenclaws a warm smile. They were really great friends to Hiccup, always concerned with his wellbeing.

The rest of the day was fairly uneventful as Jack remained with his friends by the lake for a few hours, before it was time for dinner in the Great Hall. Rapunzel and Fishlegs told him that they would bring Hiccup some food, which was good…the brunet hadn't eaten since breakfast and he needed to get some sustenance. Jack didn't see Hiccup again that day, as the dragon rider stayed in the Ravenclaw tower, but he wasn't worried since Rapunzel and Fishlegs were both there to keep an eye on him.

As he sat among his friends by the Gryffindor table, he realized how hungry he really was, as he hadn't had any lunch today, because he'd stayed with Hiccup. After eating a plateful of delicious food, he was feeling full and content, while he listened to some banter between Merida and Flynn. Apparently Flynn was convinced that Merida's patronus would be an Africanized honey bee, because "they're ill-tempered and aggressively chase their victims for miles". That comment did_ not_ go down well with their red-haired friend, much to Jack's and Mavis' amusement.

There were a few potatoes left on his plate that he had no room for, so he just stuck his fork in and out of one of them repeatedly. He was really hoping that Hiccup would hold up his end of their deal and let him know the next time he had those phantom pains. He really shouldn't be going through that all alone. He'd been alone enough in his life.

~~~~ Hiccup ~~~~

TIME SKIP: THE NEXT DAY

The three Ravenclaws walked along the corridors heading for their classes, and Fishlegs entertained him and Rapunzel with random knowledge about the Battle of Hogwarts. Hiccup and Fishlegs had Potions as their first class, along with their four Gryffindor friends, but Rapunzel had to head the same way for a little while. Hiccup was feeling better today, having gotten a lot more sleep yesterday than he was used to. He still went flying with Toothless later that night and again this morning, as he didn't have phantom pains anymore by then, but he kept the flights fairly short as he still needed to make sure he didn't strain himself. He did not want or need more pain. Toothless had instantly sensed what was wrong and had been very attentive and affectionate towards him, trying to make sure that he was okay. His scaly best friend was incredibly observant and sometimes it fascinated him just how much Toothless knew and understood about him, and as usual it had helped his tired mind to be around the Night Fury.

Only a limited number of students were passing them by in the hallways, as the majority was still at breakfast. The three Ravenclaws liked the peace and quiet though. The rush and noise of the packed corridors when every student were on their way to class was quite a stressful affair and best avoided. They also liked getting to class early, so there was no hurry and so they could pick the best seats. As he listened to Fishlegs blurt out facts about which kinds of magical creatures participated in the Battle of Hogwarts, he suddenly felt a hand close around his wrist. He spun around instantly, surprised at the contact and came face to face with a pair of familiar sky blue eyes.

"Oh. Hi Astrid" he said fondly, giving her a warm smile and a little wave, as Astrid let go of his wrist. They hadn't really been able to talk much in the last week, so it was really nice to see her, even though he was on his way to class.

The blonde girl smiled at him, pushing her bangs away from her eyes with one hand. Hiccup glanced over his shoulder at Fishlegs and Rapunzel who had stopped walking and were watching him and Astrid with curiosity.

"Hey Hiccup. Can we talk?" Astrid asked hesitantly, her clear blue eyes seeming uncertain, and this was immediately confusing him. Why was Astrid hesitant? She was never hesitant. Did she need his help with something? Or had he done something to annoy her? Astrid's smile contradicted that last idea. He couldn't imagine what else it could be though…unless she was going to give him another speech trying to protect him from someone or something…actually that last thought seemed to be the most likely outcome of this upcoming conversation, now that he thought about it.

"Uhmm, yeah. Sure" he replied uncertainly, and then turned to Fishlegs and Rapunzel. "Just go ahead guys…I'll be there in a minute, Fish…See you later, Rapunzel". The two teens nodded, before saying goodbye to Astrid and him, and continuing on their way to the classrooms, leaving Hiccup alone with her.

Astrid was standing in front of him, her hands by her sides and her loose blonde braid resting on her right shoulder. Her eyes didn't look directly at him anymore and an awkward silence descended upon them. Hiccup felt very unfamiliar with this. When he and Astrid talked it was usually uncomplicated and easy, unless he had pissed her off of course, but that was a rare occurrence. Even though they didn't see each other that much here at school, having different lives and everything, they would still fall back into their familiar roles when they spent time together. Now however, Hiccup felt the tension and the uncertainty practically radiate off Astrid, and he had never seen the girl like that before. It was very unsettling, and he felt the nervousness spreading inside him. What could possibly affect Astrid like this? Was she about to tell him something horrible? She was the strongest and most confident person he had ever known. She was sure of herself, she knew exactly who she was and she wasn't afraid to be challenged by anyone. The girl in front of him however seemed…nervous.

"Look Hiccup…" Astrid began with a determined look on her face, but her voice betrayed her as it sounded unsure and awkward. It was surreal hearing that tone from Astrid. It was like it wasn't her voice at all. She looked him in the eye now, and he began feeling self-conscious by her intense blue gaze.

"I'm not sure how to say this, but I just need you to know" she continued, fidgeting a little with the hem of her sleeve.

"Okay…" Hiccup replied hesitantly. He was dying for answers right now, but at the same time he already wished that this conversation could be avoided. It was clearly about something serious to cause Astrid to be anxious. He tugged a little on one of the braids in his brown hair.

"I sort of…I know I haven't always been great to you, Hiccup. Before you made us see that we were wrong about the dragons, I didn't stop people when they bothered you. I didn't defend you when others said bad things about you…but I should have…" she explained with an almost defeated look marring her features, as she broke eye contact and looked at the stone floor.

He instantly relaxed and felt the tension leave his body. Ah. It was delayed guilt. That made sense. It had happened to most people on Berk, and Hiccup had lost count of how many Vikings had apologized to him in the last couple of years, regretting how they had treated him. There was no need for Astrid to apologize though…she had more than made up for that by being a great friend. He didn't hold anything against her.

When he chose to remain silent for now, Astrid met his eyes again and continued. He was relieved that she didn't expect a reaction from him just yet.

"I should have seen what a great person you are, but I was blind to it. You've always been smart and kind and funny, but I never noticed it before. We always thought you were a coward, but you turned out to be braver than any of us. You turned out to be able to do more than any of us could have ever imagined…and no one could have done it but you. What you and Toothless have and what you've achieved…It's amazing…and…you're amazing" She said, finishing with a warm smile, meeting Hiccup's confused green eyes with obvious fondness in her own sky blue ones.

As quickly as the tension in him had left, it returned. Hiccup's mind was going into overdrive now. He understood that Astrid obviously felt guilty about how she treated him, and he really _did_ appreciate that she was apologizing to him, but…why was she telling him that he was amazing? They were close friends but Astrid wasn't one for such affectionate words, and it left him scrambling for an explanation.

"Thanks Astrid" he chose to say with sincerity in his voice and a genuine smile tugging at his lips to show her that he was touched by her words.

"I…" Astrid began but then stopped herself before she could say anything else. She briefly broke eye contact with him and seemed to take a few calming breaths while clenching and unclenching her fists by her sides.

There was more? Hiccup thought to himself, now actually feeling slightly panicked. He could tell that Astrid was obviously mentally preparing herself for something difficult, and Hiccup did _not_ like emotional surprises. He didn't do too well at handling them, always struggling for the right words to say and trying to decode his first instinctive reactions and what they meant.

Oh, he was sure that this was going to be horrible and he felt the anxiousness spread in his gut. Astrid must have something really upsetting to tell him, since she actually needed a moment before she spoke. She never needed that.

Astrid lifted her head again, and the familiar blue eyes met his green ones. Okay, this was it Hiccup thought. Whatever it was that Astrid had so much trouble saying was going to be revealed now. He was just hoping it wouldn't somehow tear his world apart.

"I like you Hiccup…as more than a friend and…I want to be with you…I should have noticed you before, should have done something, but I didn't, and I regret it. You're such a great guy, and I can't help but like you. I kept it to myself, because I wanted to be a good friend to you, but now…" Astrid sighed. "It might be selfish, but now that all these girls are suddenly throwing themselves at you, I just…I don't want you to find someone before I even had a chance to tell you how I feel" she said quickly, as if trying to get it over with as fast as possible. Then she took a deep breath that seemed like relief. Her blue eyes were filled with nervous anticipation, but Hiccup couldn't breathe right now, let alone give her any kind of answer.

Okay…

He had_ definitely _not been expecting that from her. He could tell that she was about to say something important, something that could change things between them and potentially upset him, but he did _not_ see that one coming. His mind was reeling, trying to analyze what she had just told him. Astrid liked him? She wanted to be with him? How long had she been feeling this way? This new information was completely surreal, and Hiccup felt detached from the moment, like it wasn't really happening to him, like it was happening to someone else. Right now he couldn't possibly decipher how he felt, as he couldn't even form a proper sentence due to his complete shock of Astrid's sudden unexpected revelation.

"Look…" he heard Astrid's voice say, cutting through his thoughts. "I know you, Hiccup. You have trouble dealing with these kinds of things…so I'll leave you to think about it for a few days, and then I'll find you again and we'll talk…I'll give you some space, okay?" She said now sounding oddly calm, eying him while he managed to slip back to reality again. He met her eyes and nodded mutely, his mind still in pieces from this unexpected turn of events that he had never_ ever_ imagined happening.

His blonde friend smiled gently at him, and then turned and began to walk away. She apparently changed her mind a few seconds after and spun back around, walking right back up to him. Astrid continued to approach closer than they had been before, and he felt his mind go blank and his heart beat faster and faster. She leaned in so close that he could feel her breath on his skin, and then she planted her lips on his in a warm, tender kiss before she pulled back, turned around once again and disappeared down the corridor in a fast pace without looking at him. The kiss left a lingering tingling sensation on his lips, and he subconsciously raised a hand and touched his mouth with his fingertips.

"What just happened?" He said quietly to himself, as he kept staring down the corridor where Astrid had left, unable to move at the moment. He felt frozen. What was he supposed to do now? He desperately needed some quiet time to think about what had just happened, but there was no time for that right now. He had a class to get to. Oh, Odin's beard, how was he going to concentrate now that Astrid had dropped all of this on him?

He forced himself to move forward, focusing on the pleasantly simple act of putting one foot in front of the other. As he descended the stairs to the dungeons, he felt a little nauseous. He was going to have to tell Fishlegs and Rapunzel about this. He knew he could trust them with anything, and he wanted to hear their perspectives on this, but he also felt uncomfortable at the thought of reliving that conversation he had just had with Astrid. He would need to wait until after class though. First of all he really needed to separate himself from this situation for a little while. Second of all, he only had his next class with Fishlegs and he wanted to tell his two close friends at the same time.

As he entered the large, oval classroom he spotted the familiar, heavy Viking, sitting by their usual workstation. He quickly headed towards him and slumped down in a chair next to him. The sudden movement caused the blonde to jump slightly in his seat, as he had clearly not heard him approaching.

"Don't worry, I'm not an axe murderer or anything" he joked half-heartedly, his mind still partly numb and confused from the encounter with Astrid in the hallway.

"I know that!" Fishlegs huffed, and then instantly narrowed his eyes a little. Oh great Hiccup thought. He already knew that something unusual had happened, just by him saying a single sentence. He knew him too well.

"Are you okay? Did something happen with Astrid?" Fishlegs asked, his blue eyes full of concern. Aaaand there it was. What he wanted right now was to pretend this thing with Astrid had never happened. He wanted to be completely in denial and forget all about it as long as this class lasted, because he knew that later he would have to discuss it with his friends. Until then though, he could push it out of his mind, banish it from occupying his thoughts.

"I'm fine…errr, something did happen, but I want to wait to tell you about it until later" he said honestly. There was no reason for him to lie to Fishlegs. He would understand that he wanted to wait. He always respected his feelings.

Just as he expected, his Viking friend nodded gently in understanding and gave him a soft smile.

"Okay, that's fine. We'll talk about it later" he confirmed, pulling his textbook out of his bag, all while still keeping his observant, caring eyes on Hiccup.

"Thanks" he said warmly, once again appreciating just how understanding Fishlegs really was. Some people would have been impatient and try to force it out of him, curiosity overtaking them. Others would start to worry that something awful had happened and start to question why he didn't want to tell them right away. Fishlegs always trusted him. He knew that if he thought it could wait until later, it probably could.

Even though he had intended to push his encounter with Astrid out of his mind, his thoughts kept wandering in that direction as he and Fishlegs waited for Jack and the others to arrive and for class to begin. When they were younger, Hiccup had had a crush on Astrid for years, but he hadn't thought about her like that for a long time. Now it seemed it was time to re-examine his feelings on the matter.

~~~~ Jack ~~~~

As Jack made his way through the corridors with Mavis and Merida, he felt content. Sure, he was tired as usual in the morning, but it seemed like today was going to be a nice day. The sun was shining, it's hopeful, warming rays bathing the corridors in a gentle morning light and his slight drowsiness encased him like a comfortable bubble of relaxation. Breakfast had been uneventful as it often was, but his belly was full of pancakes and tea, causing him to feel warm from the inside out. He was listening to his two friends' talk casually, as the three of them made their way towards the dungeons, but he didn't really feel like participating right now. He was still tired, so he kept quiet, while his feet carried him towards the classroom, and his ears focused on the girls' conversation. There weren't that many students in the corridors yet, as most of them were still at breakfast, but there were several people he recognized. Warm greetings were uttered to him and his two friends from several students and he smiled genuinely and greeted his acquaintances in return, as Merida and Mavis did as well.

Mavis had insisted that they went to class now, as they were done eating and there was no use just hanging around the house table that was filled with tired zombie-Gryffindors. Their house wasn't exactly known for being early risers, on the contrary. Most people in Gryffindor were definitely not content or rested in the morning. Flynn had forgotten to bring his textbook with him, so he needed to go back to their dormitory first to get it, and they had agreed to just meet up at class.

Jack casually continued to observe the students they passed in the corridor. Mavis and Merida were still very occupied by their discussion on how to deal with Merida's mum and her lack of enthusiasm towards Merida's love of Quidditch, when Jack spotted a familiar person ahead. Two familiar people actually. He felt a warm smile spreading across his face and his drowsiness subside as he recognized Hiccup's back, but he didn't exactly feel the same way about the blonde Gryffindor standing in front of him. He immediately frowned when he noticed that something was wrong. Granted, he could only see the Ravenclaw from behind, but the teen's body seemed awkward and tense, and the look on Astrid's face as she spoke to him was…soft…gentle. He furrowed his brow in confusion at the scene unfolding up ahead, and he glanced at Merida and Mavis who were still busy talking and hadn't seen the two familiar people in the distance.

He watched Astrid as she said something to Hiccup and then began to walk away briskly. He wondered what they could have been talking about that could have made Hiccup nervous. He was never nervous around Astrid...the two of them were always so comfortable with each other. His thoughts were interrupted though, as Astrid only took a few steps forward before spinning around quickly and once again standing face to face with Hiccup.

Jack's stomach dropped and he stopped breathing, as the beautiful blonde girl leaned in, closed her eyes and placed an affectionate kiss on Hiccup's lips, before quickly walking away, disappearing down the corridor among other students.

He froze in his tracks, unable to do anything, his eyes staring at Hiccup's back, as the brunet stood still for a few moments watching Astrid leave, before disappearing down another corridor.

Confusion, anxiety, anger…all of it was suddenly roiling violently inside his body. He felt the sting of dread in his chest that told him that his heart was aching and the sharp pang of jealousy that was turning his stomach into hard knots and making him want to rip Astrid's face off.

He immediately knew what this was, and his eyes widened in sudden and horrifying realization. No…no…no no no, the words echoed in his mind. It wasn't true…He didn't _want _it to be true.

This couldn't be happening to him…this could _not _be happening…no no no…This was wrong. This was all _wrong_. This would ruin everything…Hiccup was his _friend_…and he was a_ guy_!

It all made sense now….

That inexplicable soft warm feeling he got when he was around Hiccup…the way he would feel inside when Hiccup gave him one of those crooked smiles…when he laughed openly…when his green eyes would soften…the way every touch placed on him would leave pleasant, tingling sensations on his own skin.

No…

His mind was in pieces but among the panicked and scattered thoughts that were whirling incessantly in his head, one thing was painfully clear and unavoidable, staring him right in the face: He didn't want Astrid to have Hiccup. He didn't want her to kiss him. He didn't want _anyone_ to kiss him. In a few seconds his world had been turned upside down.

His mind was reeling and he had lost control over his body, because of what had just happened before his eyes and the terrifying realization it had sparked. He felt his stomach clench tightly and nausea filled his gut, making him feel like he was about to throw up. He tried his best to take a few deep breaths but his breathing had become erratic, and the short, sharp breaths he managed to take in caused his lungs to ache.

How the_ fuck_ had he managed to be this blind? It had been there all along and he had pushed it down…

"Jack…?" he heard a soft, very familiar voice say, reaching through to his clouded mind.

"Jack" the voice said again, and he used all the willpower he had to channel out the incredibly loud sound of his heartbeat pounding in his head and the panic and nausea that echoed through his entire body. He forced himself to lift his head and look at whoever was trying to help him right now. He stared into the familiar blue eyes of Mavis, who had a very concerned almost frantic expression on her face. He could vaguely see Merida's wild curly hair in his peripheral vision, but right now he could only focus on one thing at a time.

"Jack, what's going on? Are you sick?" Mavis asked gently, as she reached out and squeezed his arm gently. He jerked away from her, caught off guard by the sudden contact and still terrified by the overload of stress that was infecting his entire body and his mind.

"Jack, please, what's happening?" he heard Merida's worried voice say. His breathing was still erratic and painful, but he tried to force himself to calm down, at least enough to get some words out. He took a few deep breaths, inhaling and exhaling loudly.

"I…I…" he began, struggling with the words as if he hadn't spoken in years. Mavis reached out again, but this time he was prepared for it, so he didn't flinch, when she carefully touched his arm.

"I need to go…" was all he could say right now. He could barely wrap his head around what was going on within him right now, and he_ really_ didn't need anyone else questioning it. He needed to get out of there. He needed to be alone, to calm down and collect his thoughts. Without another word he turned around and began running down the corridor away from Mavis and Merida.

"Jack, where are you going!?" He heard Mavis shout after him, but he continued forward without looking back. He didn't want to see their faces right now, didn't want to hear their concerned words and their unavoidable questions.

He could vaguely hear Merida and Mavis both call out his name, but he kept going as fast as he could, eager to put some distance between him and everyone else, his thoughts whirling in all kinds of directions trying to cope with what was happening.

He needed to panic on his own.

~~~~ Mavis ~~~~

Mavis had thought it would be a normal day of classes, friends and homework. How wrong she had been. The day had started off well with a nice breakfast, friendly familiar banter and the sun shining without a cloud nearby to dim its magnificent light. She had been heading to Potions, while being deep in conversation with Merida about strategies to get her mother to accept that her daughter wanted to play Quidditch. At some point they had lost Jack along the way. That wasn't unusual in itself. Their white-haired friend fell behind sometimes, if he met someone that he wanted to share a few words with or if something interesting had caught his eye. This morning was different. She and Merida had both chuckled, when they had discovered that the pale boy was no longer beside them, and they immediately turned around to walk back where they came from in search of their friend.

As a familiar head of white hair came into view, Mavis stopped dead in her tracks. Something was very _very_ wrong. Jack was struggling to breathe, his eyes were wide, and his body seemed tense and constricted. She dropped the book she was holding in her hands and instantly rushed to her friend's side, Merida right behind her.

She had tried her best to calm him down, but soothing words didn't seem to have any effect. Jack was lost for the moment in some kind of panic attack. She reached out to him, wanting to give him some affectionate contact to let him know that she was there for him, but he flinched and jerked away immediately. He had _never _done that before, and she immediately felt panicked. When he finally managed to say a few words, it was only that he needed to go, before he had practically fled from them. They tried calling out to him, but he didn't respond and they were left standing there in shock.

They had quickly found Flynn by the entrance to the dungeons and told him to go to their dormitory to check on Jack, in case he had gone back there. When Flynn had heard what had happened, he had immediately run to the Gryffindor tower, but as he told the girls a little while later, as they entered the gloomy classroom without any time to spare before class began, Jack was nowhere to be found. The three of them were growing very concerned. They had _never_ seen Jack like that before. He was so carefree, relaxed and confident…he was always the one soothing others, reassuring them that everything was going to be okay. He was the one who spread cheer and laughter, who wanted to make the people around him smile…the one who seemed to be able to handle anything. Now it appeared that something had crumbled him. Mavis had no idea what it could possibly be, as the change had happened instantly. One moment they were heading towards class, Jack walking tiredly next to her and Merida but otherwise perfectly fine, and the next moment he was in complete and utter panic. What was going on?

She desperately wanted to help the snow-haired teen that meant so much to her. She wanted to soothe his pain, to calm his frayed nerves, to reassure him that he wasn't alone. None of that was possible right now though. None of the three friends could focus properly on their Potions class, but they hadn't known what else they could do. They would be caught by staff and sent to detention if they were seen wandering around when they should be in class, and they didn't even have any idea where Jack could be. It was clear that he wanted to be alone, as he had run away from her and Merida.

She desperately wanted to understand what was happening to him. She had agreed with Flynn and Merida that they would all go looking for him right after class and make sure that he was all right and then it didn't matter if they got detention for it…now that they'd had a chance to stick their heads together and talk about this, they all agreed that they couldn't just let their friend be out there by himself.

As Professor Creek continued his lecture on the Felix Felicis and Polyjuice Potions, Mavis suddenly felt eyes boring into her. She turned her head and felt the intense and questioning gaze of Hiccup's green eyes from the workstation next to theirs. He looked worried and she immediately knew that he had picked up on the three friends' hushed voices and tense body language coupled with the fact that Jack was nowhere to be seen. She pulled out some parchment from her bag and wrote a quick message to him. He was Jack's friend too, and he deserved to know that something was going on. Jack and Hiccup had grown so close that she didn't even hesitate to include him in this.

She quickly scribbled a message on the paper: _"We're worried about Jack. He had some kind of panic attack on our way to class. He had trouble breathing and he wouldn't listen to me and Merida. He even flinched when I tried to touch him, and then he ran away from us. We've never seen him like that before. Flynn looked for him in the Gryffindor tower, but he wasn't there. We're going to look for him after class."_

She folded up the paper and eyed professor Creek carefully, waiting for an opportune moment to send the message to Hiccup. She glanced at him and saw him watching the professor as well. He had probably already figured out what she was doing. The brunet Ravenclaw was sharp and observant after all, she had noticed that a long time ago. After a few minutes that seemed like much longer, professor Creek finally turned his back to the class and began writing on the blackboard. Mavis quickly enchanted the small, folded note and made it fly over to Hiccup. It landed softly in his hands, and he wasted no time in unfolding it and scanning the words on the page. She watched him as his features instantly changed. His eyes widened in concern and he took a few moments just staring at the note in his hands. Then he pulled out his own quill and wrote some words on the note. She saw him eying the professor, just as she had done, but he was still busy drawing on the board, so he could easily make the note fly back to her. It landed in front of her and she unfolded it. It didn't take long to absorb the message written on the crinkly piece of paper:

_"__I'm coming with you"._

As soon as class had ended, Hiccup and Fishlegs had joined her, Merida and Flynn by their workstation. When all the other students had left the room, they immediately began discussing what to do. Fishlegs had insisted on helping as well, and he told them that he would find Rapunzel afterwards, as she would definitely want to help as well. Mavis felt touched by that.

They agreed to split up, covering several areas of the castle and the massive grounds surrounding it. As cellphones and other electronics were not allowed by students at the castle, they had to find another way to keep in touch in case someone found Jack. Hiccup quickly pulled out six pieces of paper and enchanted each of them with a spell Mavis hadn't heard before. He told them that if they found Jack, simply write it on the paper and then it would appear on the other pieces as well. Mavis had to admit that it was rather clever, but she shouldn't have been too surprised. This was Hiccup after all.

Mavis had chosen to search for Jack by the lake and the Quidditch pitch, while the others teens went in other directions. As she headed towards the massive body of water, she felt a dull ache in her chest, worried that they might not find Jack, or that they would find him in a horrible state. As the shimmering water came into view, she began looking over the surroundings. When she didn't spot anyone in sight, she started walking around the lake. This area was huge after all, so Jack could still be here somewhere.

The walk around the lake was uneventful but stressful nonetheless. With every movement she spotted, she stopped breathing, but it always turned out to be a bird or a tree moving in the wind. This was frustrating…She just wanted to find Jack and hold him and tell him that she was here for him and how much he meant to her. Whatever it was that had left him so terrified, they could work it out. He had friends that cared so deeply for him. They would do anything to help him. Surely, they could solve this together? Right? Her imagination was running wild as she continued searching for that white-haired teen. What could possibly have thrown Jack into panic? She had never even seen him be slightly scared before, so this was a massive change from her usual carefree friend. What could be so bad, that he had actually had a panic attack in the middle of the corridor? As she continued running all kinds of possible and impossible scenarios through her mind, she suddenly froze in her tracks.

There. She would recognize that blue hoodie anywhere. It was Jack. Her heart leapt with joy and relief that she had found him, but the rest of her body was still tense, reminding her that something was still very wrong. Jack had apparently been by the dormitories to get his beloved hoodie, and this only served to deepen Mavis' concern. Jack loved that hoodie and he felt safe in it, so this meant that right now he desperately needed comfort.

She slowly approached him, not wanting to scare him off. He was sitting on a massive flat rock with his knees pulled in, and his arms wrapped around them. He was hunched forward, his hood pulled up and that spiky white-hair falling down in front of his eyes, covering his emotions from Mavis' view. Still it was easy to tell that he was upset. His body language was tense and stiff, and even if it wasn't, he only wore his hood up like that when he was in a bad mood…which was a really rare occurrence. As she came nearer, she knew that he had seen her. He didn't react though. Was that good or bad? She wasn't sure at all.

She slowly made it all the way over to him, sitting down next to him on the huge rock, but keeping them a few feet apart, in case he still didn't want any physical contact.

"Jack…" she said as softly and gently as she could. He didn't react, but just kept sitting still.

"Jack…please…just tell me what's wrong, and I'll do whatever I can to help" she pleaded with him. All she wanted right now was to see that confident, carefree grin of his, to see his blue eyes light up with mirth, to hear his teasing, mischievous voice.

"I can't…" he said quietly, still not looking at her but at the ground. He sounded so fragile in that moment that it almost broke her heart. Jack was usually so strong. He could handle anything. What was happening to him now?

"You can tell me anything…" she replied reassuringly and then added: "And it can stay between the two of us if that's what you want". She didn't know what to expect, but it had to be _huge_ in order to cause that sort of reaction from Jack. For that reason she didn't know if he wanted all his friends to know just yet, or if he simply wanted to share his pain with one person, who would keep his secret safe.

"Something's changed…" he said vaguely, lifting his head a little to stare at the lake in front of them. To Mavis it sounded like he didn't want to be alone with his troubles, but didn't truly want to express them either. She struggled to understand the meaning behind the words. What had changed? What could _possibly_ have changed in those few moments in the corridor?

"What has changed, Jack?" she asked, observing him intently for any change in his expression. "I promise, no matter what it is...I'll help you deal with it."

Jack turned his head towards her, his blue eyes meeting hers, and she found a deep sadness in them. She felt her chest constrict in worry for her friend. He broke their eye contact again and looked at the lake in front of them once more, remaining silent.

"Jack…whatever it is, I'll help…and you know I would never judge you" she continued, wanting to make sure that Jack knew, he could tell her anything. She would _never_ turn her back on him. "I love you..." she finished softly.

The white-haired teen stayed silent for a few moments, his dull blue eyes still staring ahead, as if he was deciding whether to tell her about this or not. She waited patiently, even though she was brimming with worry on the inside.

"I've been so blind, Mav…" Jack told her, his voice sounding melancholy, and the unfamiliar tone caused her to frown.

"What do you mean?" she asked him softly. She had no idea what was going on, but she desperately wanted to know.

"I have…feelings for Hiccup" he said so quietly that she had almost missed it. She hadn't though, and it was probably the last thing she had ever expected him to say.

Her blue eyes widened and her mind was shocked from the revelation, but she willed the temporary distress away, and forced herself to think clearly about this. Jack had feelings for Hiccup? She would have been less surprised, if he had said he had feelings for Astrid, and everyone knew what an absurd scenario _that_ was.

Her mind was instantly working hard at putting the puzzle pieces together. Of course she'd noticed how close Jack and Hiccup had grown in a very short time. She had noticed their unique banter that both of them clearly enjoyed immensely. She had noticed that Jack often touched Hiccup…patting him on the back, ruffling his hair, putting an arm around him when they walked together…but she hadn't considered it a gesture of anything more than friendship. After all, Jack was an outgoing person, and sometimes he was touchy with people…Granted, it was usually with her, Flynn and Merida and not others, but she hadn't put those pieces together until right now.

It made sense…Jack sought out Hiccup every chance he got, his eyes lit up when they challenged each other with their sarcasm and quick-witted remarks, he had become fiercely protective of the dragon rider, and he was incredibly worried every time even the slightest thing was wrong with Hiccup. Mavis had dismissed it all as friendship but now that she thought back, maybe something more had always been there?

"Jack…" she said soothingly. "It's okay. That's okay" she tried to reassure him.

"It's _not _okay, Mavis" the white-haired boy next to her objected but still didn't meet her eyes. She saw him clenching his fists.

"Of course it is...You can't control who you have feelings for. It just sort of happens" she said calmly, trying to get him to understand that it would be okay. Her mind was still confused and baffled by his admission, but she could push that aside for now.

She decided to try and touch him, as she wanted to give him some physical comfort. She reached out and gently rubbed circles on his back, feeling the soft blue fabric of his familiar hoodie underneath her hand, breathing a sigh of relief that he didn't flinch this time.

"It's...I…" Jack clearly struggled to find the right words to explain something to her, and she patiently waited for him to find out how to phrase it.

"I don't know what to do, Mav… I've never felt that way about a _guy_" he then said, hopelessness seeping into his voice and Mavis understood his emotions. Of course he would be confused and melancholy and scared…He had only been attracted to girls in the past, and now he was suddenly finding himself drawn to a guy…who was also his close friend…and who probably wasn't even into guys. It was complicated and frightening to say the _least_. Everything had been turned upside down for Jack. He was probably even questioning his own identity now.

"I know" she told him in a calm voice. "But...even though it's confusing and terrifying, it's natural, Jack. There's nothing wrong with it".

"I know…" he replied quietly, and Mavis knew that there was something he wasn't telling her.

After a few moments of silence, she suddenly realized it and cursed herself for once again being blind to something. Jack had panicked in a matter of seconds, so something specific had to have happened in the corridor to set it off. She mentally slapped herself. She should have realized that faster.

"Jack…what happened back in the corridor?" she asked carefully, not wanting to set off any emotional outburst from her already troubled friend.

He stared at the ground for a few moments, remaining silent. She waited for him to gather enough courage to tell her. This was obviously very difficult for him, and rushing him would only make it worse. She would wait for as long as it took.

She continued to rub soothing circles on his back, while training her eyes on the lake in front of them. Their surroundings were so peaceful. The lake was shimmering in the soft autumn sunlight and small ripples were breaking the still surface, as the chilly breeze caressed it. The sound of the treetops rustling and birds chirping only added to the peace and serenity around them that seemed like such a stark contrast to the emotional turmoil of herself and especially the white-haired boy sitting next to her. When Jack spoke again, his voice was filled with sadness and uncertainty.

"I saw…Astrid…kiss him" he managed to say, struggling to tell her as if it physically pained him. More puzzle pieces instantly clicked into place in Mavis' mind.

"And…_that's _when you realized how you felt about him?" she asked, wanting him to confirm her thoughts.

"Yeah…" Jack almost whispered, still not looking at her. "I've been in fuckin' denial_ all this time_…I've just…suppressed it…" His voice was bitter and frustrated now, but that was to be expected, she thought to herself. He had just gone through a _huge_ emotional rollercoaster, from having a perfectly normal morning to seeing someone kiss his friend, to realizing that he actually had feelings for that friend…who was also a guy.

"Sometimes...our minds try to protect us like that, Jack…" she started, wanting to let him know that it was human nature to do such things. "You've probably been rationalizing all of this…seeing little signs of it here and there but trying to explain it as something else…right?" she asked softly, watching him intently.

"Yeah…I have" He replied weakly and then sighed and let his hands slide down his face in a frustrated movement.

Mavis thought about Astrid and Hiccup for a few moments. She was pretty sure that Hiccup didn't like guys like that, but _any_ chance of anything with him was possibly taken away now that Astrid had kissed him. At that last thought, she needed to ask Jack one more question.

"Are you worried that he'll be with Astrid now?"

Jack visibly tensed even more at the question, if that was remotely possible. She stopped rubbing his back, not sure if the contact was wanted right now or not.

"Yes…no…I don't know." He said, keeping his eyes locked on the ground, as if it had hurt him somehow and he wanted revenge. Mavis could sense the frustration and confusion radiate off him, and she felt her sadness grow. She didn't know if this could be fixed in any way…If Hiccup didn't feel the same way, then Jack was bound to be miserable…and she was pretty sure that Hiccup in fact didn't share Jack's feelings.

She could tell that Jack was fighting to form some kind of coherent thought in his mind that he could communicate to her, so she once again waited patiently for him to speak. There was no rush. She had all the time in the world when it came to him.

"I'm…confused…I don't know how I'll even look him in the eye now" Jack said miserably and then sighed deeply.

"Hiccup is your friend, he cares about you. You should have seen how worried he was, when he heard about what happened" she tried to reassure him.

Jack's head lifted immediately. "He knows?" he asked, his voice full of uncertainty, his eyes conveying that he didn't like that idea in the slightest. Mavis thought to herself that Jack was probably worried that Hiccup would put the pieces together and figure out that Jack had panicked around the same time Astrid had apparently kissed him. Mavis had her doubts about that though. Hiccup was incredibly smart, but he definitely hadn't figured this out or she would have seen signs of it in Potions.

"Of course he does. He was worried about why you weren't in class, and he could tell that something was obviously wrong with me and Flynn and Merida."

"Where is he now?" Jack asked quietly and fidgeted a little with the hem of one of his blue sleeves.

"Everyone's out looking for you".

"I just…I don't want to see him right now" Jack replied and it almost sounded panicked, as if he was cornered with no escape route.

"That's okay…Look, I'll take you back to the tower, and we'll talk more, just the two of us. I'll let the others know that I've found you but that you don't want to see anyone right now. Would that be okay?" she asked, trying to find a solution that he would accept.

He nodded slowly and she felt relieved that he had agreed to come back with her. She pulled out the paper Hiccup had given her, a textbook and her quill from her satchel.

"What's that?" she heard her friend's fragile voice ask.

"It's just a way to let the others know that I've found you" she replied, straightening out the paper on top of the book, so she could write properly.

She turned her head and Jack smiled a very small and strained smile.

"That was Hiccup's idea right?"

"Yeah, it was" she confirmed and nodded slowly.

Jack let out a brief chuckle, but there was no actual humor in it and that frightened Mavis. She had never heard him laugh like that. It seemed unnatural.

"Of course it was" he said quietly and then once again stared at the clear, blue lake.

She trained her eyes on the enchanted paper and wrote a quick message to the others: _"I've found Jack. He and I are going to go back to the Gryffindor tower and talk for a while. He doesn't want to see anyone else right now, so please respect that, even though I know it's hard. I know you're all worried, but I promise I'll find some way to get out of classes for the rest of the day and take care of him. I will not rest until he is better – Mavis". _

They sat in silence for a little while, before Mavis' attention was once again turned towards the paper, where several small messages were now written. She picked it up, her eyes taking in the words on the page. None of the others were happy about not being able to see Jack, but they were all relieved that he had been found and they would respect his privacy for now. She let out a sigh of relief. She read Hiccup's message twice at the bottom of the page:

_"__Thank the gods, I was going out of my mind here. Can't really say that I'm happy I can't see him, but I'll keep my distance for now…Just take care of him, and tell him I'm worried and that I'll do anything I can to help him, when he's ready to talk about it – Hiccup"._

She was unsure of whether it would be a good idea to show it to Jack or not. She didn't know if he would feel happy or sad to see a concerned message from the friend, he now had realized he had feelings for.

"What are they saying?" Jack asked without much emotion and took the decision out of her hands. She handed him the paper, and he took it without hesitation. His dull blue eyes, usually so full of life and mirth, read the messages, his face not changing in the slightest until it reached that last message. Mavis had expected as much. Jack smiled, but it was a sad smile that she didn't like at all.

"How could he possibly help, when he's the problem?" he asked her, turning his head to face her, and she wasn't sure how to answer that. She took a few moments to think about it.

"He's just worried, Jack. He obviously cares a lot about you, anyone can see that".

"I know…but everything's just different now" Jack sighed.

"Yeah, it is…but let's just focus on getting back to the tower for now, and we'll talk more when we get there" she said reassuringly and quickly stood up. She waited a few moments, while Jack did the same, as he seemed much more reluctant and much slower in his movements right now.

They walked back towards the castle in silence. Mavis would let Jack take the lead right now, as to whether he wanted to talk or just be lost in thought for a while. She made sure to walk closely to him though, wanting to offer at least some sort of comfort and let him know that she supported him. As they entered the castle, the hallways were full of busy students on their way to their next class. She could see Jack tense up, and she tried to shield him from the other students by placing her arm around his shoulder, guarding him from any unwanted contact or questioning looks. She was praying that they wouldn't run into anyone they knew, and thankfully that prayer was answered as they quickly made it to the Gryffindor tower, without having to put on a façade for anyone. She gently told the portrait the password and it swung open, revealing that familiar, warm common room that they had spent so much time in over the years. She carefully led Jack inside, guiding him towards the stairs to his dormitory, and they walked up the old staircase in silence.

She wanted Jack to feel safe, and she figured it would be best if they talked in the room he shared with Flynn, Harry and Liam, not risking being interrupted by anyone any time soon. Jack walked towards the four-poster bed that he slept in and slumped down on it. He scooted to the back of the bed, sitting on top of his pillow and pulling his knees up.

"Jack, I need to go to headmaster Lunar and get us excused from classes for the rest of the day, okay?" she asked him gently. He met her gaze with uncertain eyes, but nodded slowly.

"Stay here. I'll be back as quickly as I can and we'll talk".

When Jack didn't reply she turned around and walked back down the stairs, through the common room and out through the portrait, her legs moving as fast as they possible could without actually running. She wanted to get this over with quickly and get back to Jack.

She continued on her way to the headmaster's office, feeling an increased sense of worry and anxiety about getting them excused. What if the headmaster would refuse? Jack definitely couldn't be in class right now, and Mavis did_ not_ want to leave his side.

As it turned out all of her fretting was unnecessary. The headmaster had without further ado excused her and Jack for the rest of the day, as Mavis explained that the boy had had a panic attack in the middle of the corridor, and that she wanted to be there for him and keep an eye on him. She had always liked headmaster Lunar. He seemed kind and understanding, although she knew he could be stern when situations required it, and he had an incredible ability to tell whether people were lying or telling the truth. He had smiled softly at her and told her not to worry about classes. He would inform their professors that they were excused for the remainder of the day. She had smiled gratefully and thanked him warmly several times, causing the headmaster to chuckle in amusement and then dismiss her.

She hurried back towards the Gryffindor tower and her distressed snow-haired friend. As the familiar portrait came into view at the end of the large, stone staircase, she felt relieved. She muttered the password quickly and the portrait swung open. She wasted no time in walking through it and up the stairs to the boy's dormitory as quickly as she could.

She saw Jack sitting on his bed in the exact same position she had left him in.

"Jack…I managed to get us excused for the rest of the day, so don't worry about classes" she told him as she approached the bed and then placed herself in top of it, in front of the teenage boy. His blue eyes met hers and he gave her a very small and hesitant but genuine smile that caused her to feel warm inside. At least this smile was sincere and not sad or bitter. That was progress, wasn't it?

"What can I do to help? Anything at all" Mavis asked her white-haired friend gently. She wanted do something. Anything.

"I don't know…" Jack started hesitantly, but he still seemed to be doing better now than when they sat by the lake. His eyes were less haunted, his voice wasn't bitter and fragile, and he seemed somewhat resigned, as if he had reached some sort of acceptance of his feelings for the brunet Ravenclaw. "It's…I just don't know how I'm going to be around Hiccup now…I'm afraid that I won't be able to act like I used to, and that I'll lose him as a friend".

Mavis thought about his words for a few moments. Of course Jack's fears were justified, but she had her doubts that Hiccup would ever turn his back on him. The two boys had become so close in such as short amount of time. The way they joked around with each other, the familiar touches, the genuine caring for each other's wellbeing, the protective instinct…they acted like they'd been friends for years even though it had only been a few months.

"I don't think that'll happen…Granted, I don't know Hiccup as well as you do, but he's a very understanding person…someone who accepts other people and doesn't judge them".

"He is" Jack confirmed and Mavis could hear the faint trace of warmth in his voice.

"He will understand" she continued. "Even if you told him about your feelings, I'm sure he would understand". She really meant those words. She had no doubt that Hiccup would support Jack, even if he didn't feel the same way.

"No…I'll _never_ tell him about that" Jack objected and his eyes widened slightly for a few moments.

"Jack, come on…you can't keep this bottled up forever. Sooner or later, you're going to have to tell him about it" she told him firmly. It was_ not _a realistic scenario to keep this hidden permanently.

"No…I'm _not_ going to tell him" Jack replied stubbornly and crossed his arms defensively, obviously trying to protect himself as he was feeling vulnerable right now.

"So you're just going to be his friend? Be around him every day for the next two years without ever letting him know how you feel about him?" she asked him with a hint of disbelief in her voice, raising an eyebrow.

Jack winced at her words and usually she would have thought that was a bad thing, but right now he needed to wake up and face the truth. He could keep Hiccup in the dark for a while but it wouldn't last.

"That was my plan…" Jack said hesitantly and broke eye contact with her. "I'm hoping it will go away in time".

Mavis shook her head to herself. Jack was still in denial. Sure, people could have crushes and they could go away, but Jack and Hiccup were so close now, that she had a hard time imagining his feelings dying down. On the contrary, they would probably only grow stronger in time.

"Is there anything I can do?" she asked, eager to do _something _to help her friend with all of this.

"Just…help me…be around him. It'll probably be really difficult at first".

It was a hesitant request, but she accepted it without any need for consideration.

"Of course. I'll do anything I can" she told him with a small smile tugging at her lips. Then a thought occurred to her.

"Jack…do you want me to find out what happened between Astrid and Hiccup? I can go ask her about it. I'll just say that I saw them in the corridor and was wondering what was going on?" she asked. Maybe the answer to this could soothe a little of Jack's pain.

He nodded slowly and then a flicker of a smile appeared on his lips before it was gone as quickly as it came.

"Okay…I don't want you to be alone right now, so I'll ask her at dinner" she told him with a nod. She was hoping Astrid would tell her about it…sure, they were friends but they weren't close friends as such, and this might be too personal for Astrid to want to discuss.

Jack nodded once again and moved from his sitting position. He slowly crawled underneath his blanket and rested his head on the pillow. She was still sitting at the end of the bed, but moved slightly to give him some more space to stretch his legs out. She observed him for a moment. He looked exhausted, like someone who hadn't slept properly for days.

"Maybe you should get some sleep? I'll stay with you" she said gently.

"Yeah…" Jack looked at her and then pointed towards the nightstand, and she immediately understood what he wanted.

She jumped off the bed and went to fish out the familiar, purple potion from the drawer. She knew that Jack sometimes used Dreamless Sleep, if he had been plagued by nightmares about his parents. Now however, she understood that he didn't want any dreams but just to rest his exhausted body and mind for a little while. She took off the lid and handed it to him, and he quickly took it and drank it. He grimaced as the foul taste of the potion, and Mavis smiled warmly. She had had Dreamless Sleep a couple of times too, and it did truly taste horribly. Sort of like a mix between old dishwater and wet dog. Not at all pleasant.

The white-haired boy rested his head on the soft pillow once again, and his eyelids quickly began to droop. Mavis smiled softly at him, as he drifted off into a peaceful sleep. She watched him for a few moments, making sure that he was truly asleep, before quickly heading to her own dormitory to get a book. She had promised she would stay with Jack, and she would, but she would need something to do while his body got some much needed rest.

As she returned to the room, she found Jack just as she had left him. His eyes were closed and his chest was rising and falling evenly. She sat on top of the bed once again, and leaned her back against one of the bedposts. She opened the book and began losing herself in the tale, while guarding her white-haired friend who was sleeping peacefully beside her. She would make sure that nothing would hurt him. As she trained her eyes on the letters in front of her that was forming an exciting and interesting story in the pages, her mind couldn't fully concentrate. Her thoughts kept wandering to Jack and a certain brunet dragon rider. She had no idea if Hiccup would ever feel the same way about Jack, but she actually found herself thinking that they would be good together. They were so different but somehow they just complimented each other incredibly well.

She sighed to herself, while glancing at the pale teen beside her, who was still sleeping peacefully. Unfortunately it was impossible to tell, if there was even the slightest chance that that could ever happen.

~~~~ Hiccup ~~~~

This day had been completely surreal. As he was sitting by the Ravenclaw table with Rapunzel and Fishlegs, he pushed his food around on his plate with his fork, not really having much of an appetite. He could feel Fishlegs and Rapunzel watching him, but they all remained silent at the moment, which he was grateful for. He didn't really feel like talking right now.

How had the day suddenly gone from being completely normal to chaos and anxiety and concern? Everything had been fine…he was walking to class with his friends and then…all of the sudden Astrid had feelings for him and wanted an answer in a few days of whether or not he wanted to be with her, potentially ruining their entire friendship, and Jack had had some kind of panic attack and was struggling with a huge problem that he didn't even have the _faintest_ idea what was about. He had asked Mavis about it as soon as he saw the black-haired girl enter the Great Hall along with Merida and Flynn, but she'd told him that she couldn't say anything about it, because Jack wasn't ready for anyone else to know. He had reluctantly accepted that. After all…Jack had been more than patient with Hiccup and his secrets, not pushing him to say more than he wanted to, so the least he could do was repay that favor. He would let Jack have his secrets…hopefully his white-haired friend would choose to tell him about it some day, so he could try to help him.

It had to be _massive _though to make Jack act like that…the pale teen was always so laid back, calm and collected, able to handle anything that was thrown at him...Hiccup had never seen him be really emotional, except for that night when he told him about how his parents died. Gods, he hoped all of this wasn't something about his parents…or his sister…that would be horrible and Jack had suffered enough.

"Hiccup?" Rapunzel suddenly asked, pulling him out of his thoughts. He lifted his head and looked at his blonde friend, who was watching him with those caring, green eyes of hers.

"Yeah?"

"Have you thought about what you're going to do with Astrid?" she asked him gently, knowing that he was very confused about the whole thing.

He had told Rapunzel and Fishlegs about the encounter with Astrid, after they had heard from Mavis that she had found Jack and was going to stay by his side and they had finished the rest of their classes for the day. It had been beyond difficult for Hiccup to concentrate in those classes, as his mind was constantly occupied by thoughts of Jack and Astrid.

The three of them had retreated to the Ravenclaw common room for the remainder of the afternoon, and he had explained what had had happened between him and Astrid in the corridor. His two friends were both just as shocked as he had been. Apparently they hadn't been expecting something like that from her either.

"Yeah, but…I'm not really any closer to an answer" he told her honestly and sighed. How could he be? Astrid had dumped all of that on him at once…and he had no idea what to do with it. She had_ kissed_ him…he couldn't deny that his heartbeat had quickened and his mind had gone blank, but…he wasn't sure if that was because of Astrid or just because he was being kissed by someone he cared about.

"Sorry…I know it's a lot to take in…and everything with Jack too…" Rapunzel replied softly, observing him with obvious empathy in her eyes.

"Yeah…I really hope he's okay now…I wish I could go see him" he told his friends, not bothering to hide the sadness in his voice. He really wanted to be by Jack's side right now and help him with whatever he was going through, but…Mavis had made it clear that Jack didn't want to see anyone right now, and no matter how horrible and worried it made him feel, he would respect that. After all…he was familiar with the need to be alone more than most people.

"Yeah, me too…" Fishlegs said and Rapunzel nodded in agreement. He knew they were both concerned too and wanted to see their white-haired friend.

"I wonder what could have happened to him to cause that kind of reaction?" Rapunzel said, her voice brimming with worry. She quickly took a sip of the pumpkin juice in her cup.

"Yeah, it's not like him at all" Fishlegs replied and furrowed his brow in contemplation.

"I have absolutely _no_ idea…" Hiccup told his two friends honestly and sighed, letting them see his obvious frustration and concern. "I've been thinking about what it could be ever since Mavis wrote that note to me in Potions, but…I can't think of anything that would make him act like that…at least not anything that makes sense".

"And you know him better than we do" Rapunzel said and fidgeted a little with her hands.

"Yeah, but…" Hiccup began and then shook his head a little. "_Everyone _has secrets…"

~~~~ Jack ~~~~

He had slept through the rest of the afternoon after taking the Dreamless Sleep potion and he was immensely grateful for that. As he slowly woke up, the pleasantness of the uncomplicated sleeping world faded away and his mind began working again. He blinked a few times to focus his vision and then slowly sat up in his bed. All his thoughts and worries instantly came back to him, once again triggering nausea to rise within him. He sighed deeply, while running a hand through his snow-white hair in a frustrated gesture.

"Hey" a familiar soothing voice said and he turned his head to see Mavis sitting on Flynn's bed with a book in her hands.

"Hey Mav" he said quietly and then rubbed his eyes with one hand.

"How are you feeling?" his black-haired friend asked gently.

"Like hell" he told her honestly. There was no reason to lie to her and pretend that everything was fine. She knew what he was going through right now. Somehow that thought comforted him a little.

"I brought you some food if you want some" Mavis said with a small smile and pointed to a plate sitting on his nightstand, her caring blue eyes watching him.

"Thanks…but I don't think I can eat anything right now" he told her with a tiny, apologetic smile. The nausea in his gut that stemmed from all those confusing thoughts whirling in his mind caused him to not feel hungry at all. In fact, if he ate something, he would probably just feel sick.

"Jack…" Mavis soft voice said, sounding very uncertain.

He lifted his gaze and met her blue eyes. "Yeah?"

"I…talked to Astrid at dinner" his pale friend said hesitantly, as if she was worried it might upset him. Which it definitely could…depending on what Astrid had told her.

"Oh…" Jack managed to say. He knew exactly what that meant. Mavis had information on Astrid and Hiccup. He felt really anxious all of the sudden…well, more anxious than he already felt at the moment. The nervous anticipation made his heartbeat quicken in an uncomfortable way and his stomach to clench.

"She said that…she has feelings for Hiccup…" Mavis started and bit her bottom lip a little.

Get in line Jack thought to himself with a hint of annoyance. Well, not a hint. A _massive_ truckload of annoyance. Yeah, that fit.

"Okay…" He replied uncertainly, wanting her to go on, so he could get some kind of answer to all of this.

"…And that she wants to be with him. She told me that she confessed her feelings to Hiccup, but he was way too shocked to really give her any kind of answer…so she's given him a few days to think it over, and then they'll talk again to find out what's going to happen" Mavis explained softly and tucked a lock of black hair behind one of her ears.

Oh _great_…This was going to continue for several days, before Jack got any kind of definitive answer? That was going to be fuckin'_ torture_…He desperately wanted to find the brunet and question him on his potential feelings for Astrid, but he knew that he couldn't talk to Hiccup about this. He wasn't even supposed to know about it. God, this was horrible…he would have to actually wait for _days_ to find out if Astrid had managed to snatch Hiccup away. Not that he actually had a chance with the sarcastic dragon rider if he turned Astrid down, but it would still make him feel a lot better if the two Vikings weren't together.

"Oh…" he said, breaking eye contact with his friend, not sure what else he really could say.

"Sorry Jack…" Mavis started sympathetically. "But maybe Hiccup won't want him and Astrid to get together" she finished, obviously trying to comfort him.

"Yeah, except that he had a crush on her, when they were younger, so why wouldn't he?" Jack said bitterly, meeting Mavis' blue eyes once again.

"_Had_" Mavis simply replied. Touché. That still didn't quell his worries though. Hiccup and Astrid…somehow it just made sense…they were close friends, they had grown up together, they came from the same place, had the same culture…everything…It made sense.

After talking for a little while longer, Jack had told Mavis that he would go back to sleep. His black-haired friend was obviously concerned about that, as he had already slept for hours, but he insisted that he just needed a break from all of this stress. She had reluctantly agreed after a little arguing and she had retreated to the common room to spend some time with Merida, Flynn and the other Gryffindors. Jack had quickly drunk the vile, purple potion and once again drifted off into the sleeping world. A much more uncomplicated place.

~~~~ Jack ~~~~

TIME SKIP: THE NEXT DAY

Even though Jack wasn't a morning person, breakfast in the Great Hall among his friends had always been a welcoming and comforting way to start the day. He would usually eat pancakes with syrup and a cup of tea and enjoy the pleasant feeling of warmth spread in his stomach, and he would enjoy listening to his friends' conversations and laughter, even though he didn't speak much himself at this time of day.

Today however, he had skipped all of that and slept in. He had been excused from classes for an extra day by the headmaster, but Mavis didn't get off the hook so easily. Not that Jack really minded. It was comforting to have her around, with her gentle words of encouragement, but he could manage to get through the day on his own. He wasn't a child that needed to be looked after.

As Mavis told him that he had been excused for another day of classes, his stomach bubbled with a strange mix of relief and longing. He was uneasy about the prospect of seeing Hiccup again, because he had no idea if he could act normally around him, now that he'd realized he had feelings for him. On the other hand, he felt a strong longing form inside of him. Sure, he was sort of relieved of not having to face Hiccup and his questions just yet, but it was also unpleasant being away from him for so long. He was used to seeing the brunet several times a day, every day. Now however, he wasn't going to see the familiar green-eyed teen until tonight.

He knew that he couldn't put it off forever, so he would join his friends at dinner and hopefully he would be able to handle being around the guy who was constantly occupying his thoughts.

Jack really tried to keep himself busy that afternoon. He did his best to focus his mind on something else, to get his chaotic, scattered thoughts of that brunet Viking out of his head and replace them with homework, casual reading and writing letters to Emma and North and Anna. Of course none of it really worked. It seemed that the more Jack desperately tried to keep his thoughts from returning to Hiccup, the more his mind insisted on keeping him there.

When Jack gave up on trying to keep himself busy and just sat by the window next to his bed, watching the grey skies and the gentle drizzle of rain, he thought about how he had a _serious _problem. He now knew how utterly stupid he had been. It had been _right there_, staring him in the face. He had avoided dealing with it, but it had been present, looming over him, poking in the back of his consciousness. He had left it unspoken and unrecognized in the subconscious hope that it would go away.

Where the hell did this leave him? What did these new found feelings mean? When he thought about Hiccup, there was no way he could deny his feelings any longer. He felt butterflies flapping their wings in his stomach and his heartbeat quickened and all he wanted to do was be near him…He definitely had a major crush on that smart, sarcastic, awkward dragon rider.

The thought made equal amounts of fear and excitement seep into Jack's body, covering every nerve, every vessel with their uneasy, invading presence. He couldn't dismiss the bubbly happiness he felt when he was around Hiccup…he couldn't deny that he was drawn to him…that he wanted to be around him all the time…but he also couldn't just banish all the terrifying thoughts and doubts that this realization brought. Did this mean he was gay now? Or maybe bisexual? Was Hiccup the only guy he would ever be attracted to? He cringed as he thought about it. He couldn't suppress the fact that he _was _attracted to him. His body had betrayed him so many times with its fluttering, warming, tugging sensations, but it was difficult to admit it…even to himself. Hiccup was his friend. He was a _guy_. Jack wasn't supposed to think of him in that way. He didn't care about whether people were gay or not, but he'd always liked girls. What was different now?

Well, obviously Hiccup was different from anyone he had _ever_ met.

As he kept watching the grey skies outside his window, he sighed deeply to himself. Hiccup was such a strange but fascinating combination of traits…he was awkward, shy and sensitive, blushing at compliments and uncomfortable with attention, but he was also strong, stubborn and tough...able to fight and use weapons, always ready to defend those he cared about against anything, even risk his own life for them as he had done when he fought the Red Death…he was intelligent and quick-witted, able to soak up knowledge like a sponge and put pretty much anyone in their place with his sarcastic remarks…He was artistic and inventive, being able to draw and paint the most beautiful, detailed pictures and build amazing weapons and inventions…and he had a troubled past, where he had been through a lot of pain, which had made him one of the strongest, most humble and understanding people Jack knew.

In other words…he was pretty much perfect and Jack knew in that moment that he was completely and utterly _screwed_. When you started to think of someone as perfect…you had a problem.

Not to mention that…Hiccup was a like a fuckin' _puzzle_…he was full of mysteries and surprises…secrets…and Jack was well aware that he hadn't collected all the vital pieces yet. It was one of the things that had drawn him to Hiccup in the first place…the wish to figure him out…to find out what was behind those massive emotional walls. He was still hoping that Hiccup would fully let him in one day, but there was no way of telling if that would ever happen.

Naturally, he had feared going to the Great Hall that evening, as he knew he would have to face Hiccup, and the brunet was obviously concerned about him. He was praying to whatever deity might hear him that he could manage to act normal around the other guy, and not let his obvious discomfort show.

As Jack and his friends had entered the hall, he could feel his palms go clammy and his heart pounded in his chest. He instinctively looked towards the Ravenclaw table and saw Hiccup, Fishlegs and Rapunzel already there. He smiled softly to himself at the sight of the brunet Viking talking with his friends, while taking sips from his cup. Rapunzel suddenly caught sight of them, and she smiled brightly and waved at him, causing Hiccup and Fishlegs to turn their eyes towards them as well. Fishlegs waved while Hiccup smiled warmly. Shit. He had actually hoped that he could avoid seeing Hiccup for as long as possible…well, not exactly…he wanted to see Hiccup, but he didn't want Hiccup to see him…that didn't seem to be in the cards though, as the brunet quickly got up from his seat and walked briskly towards Jack and his friends, who were still standing by the massive wooden doors at the entrance.

"Jack" Hiccup said with a bright, genuine smile when he was almost right in front of him, and Jack felt warmth bubble inside him in response. Hiccup looked so happy to see him, his whole face had practically lit up and that look tugged at Jack's heartstrings and made his heartbeat quicken. He didn't even have time to say anything in reply though, as the Viking pulled him in to a tight hug, wrapping his arms around Jack's neck and squeezing him. He felt electricity surging through every nerve of his body at the touch and his stomach unleashed a colony of butterflies flapping their wings incessantly inside him, while his heart pounded in his chest. Oh god…was this how it was going to be from now on? Every time Hiccup touched him? Sure, he had felt himself react to Hiccup's touch while he was still in denial, but this was different…now that he knew how he really felt about him, it was like a barrier had been broken down, and now his body and mind was being overwhelmed.

He welcomed the feeling of Hiccup's familiar, comforting warmth, and the Ravenclaw's two small braids brushed against his nose, as they hugged. He smiled to himself, as he briefly rested his head on the other teen's shoulders, before Hiccup broke the contact and pulled away. As soon as the brunet was away from him, he longed to have him closer again. The feeling of having him so close was…addictive.

"Are you okay? We were all worried sick" Hiccup said, deep concern evident not only in his voice but in those vibrant, green orbs that were attentively observing Jack.

"Yeah, I'm better now. I just…I have some things going on right now, that I don't really want to talk about…for now at least. I just need to get back to normal" he explained, keeping his voice steady and reassuring. He didn't want to make Hiccup worry about him, even though he probably would anyway. He forced himself to keep his eyes trained on Hiccup's green ones to not seem avoidant.

"Okay. I won't ask then…You can tell me whenever you're ready." The Ravenclaw said reassuringly and his lips quirked in a genuine smile. "I'll be here for you, when you are".

"Thanks Hiccup" Jack replied warmly, and he was touched by Hiccup's words. He was a good friend, and Jack knew that he cared about him and that he could rely on him, if he ever needed anything. Well, he _did _need something…he needed Hiccup…but that would be his own burden to bear. He would _never _tell him about this. He just…couldn't risk losing him.

"Any time…I'll see you guys, okay?" Hiccup replied with a warm smile, focusing his attention on Flynn, Merida and Mavis as well.

"Sure, see you" Jack said fondly, accompanied by "see you Hiccup" and "bye Hiccup" coming from his friends behind him. Hiccup flashed them all a bright smile, showing his white teeth with the small gap between the two front teeth, and gave them a wave, before he turned his back and walked back towards his House table to join Fishlegs and Rapunzel again.

"Are you okay Jack?" Mavis whispered to him, as soon as the Ravenclaw was out of earshot. Merida and Flynn still had no idea what was going on with him, and she obviously didn't want to reveal it to them either.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Let's just get something to eat" he replied quietly but with a reassuring voice. He wasn't sure how he really felt though. It was so comforting being around Hiccup again, but at the same time the other teen's presence was causing him to fret and feel anxious, like he was completely exposed without anything guarding him from the Viking's analyzing green eyes. He knew it was ridiculous, but he somehow felt that Hiccup could tell exactly what was wrong with him. Of course he couldn't though. If Hiccup truly knew, he would be nervous, blushing furiously and not knowing what to do with himself, Jack thought with a hint of amusement.

The four teens were soon sitting comfortably by the Gryffindor table. Merida was once again stuffing her face, this time with a mix of potatoes and chicken, and Jack found himself thinking that the red-head practically seemed starved every single time she saw food of any kind. He smiled softly to himself. That smile quickly disappeared though, as he suddenly spotted Astrid sitting further down the table, talking with her friends. He felt the annoyance bubble in his gut, as he thought about how she had kissed Hiccup. That was practically burned into his memory now.

He turned his attention back to his friends again. Merida and Flynn had agreed to not ask questions about what was wrong with him. For now. Jack could clearly sense that they were worried though. They shot him concerned glances that they thought he didn't notice, and they were overly careful around him, making sure not to say anything that might upset him. Jack knew they meant well, and he appreciated it.

"So, how's it going with your art project?" Flynn asked Mavis, who had just placed a pile of steamed vegetables on her plate.

"I think it's going pretty well…I'm not entirely sure about the color scheme, but I think I've got the details down" she replied, giving him a fond smile.

As Mavis continued to tell them about her new project, Jack glanced at the Ravenclaw table and quickly located that mess of brown hair that belonged to Hiccup. He was talking to Fishlegs and Rapunzel about something, and Jack felt a soft tickling sensation in his stomach, when Hiccup's face lit up in a bright smile and he laughed at something Rapunzel had said. It was like several soft, feathery sparrows soaring around inside him. He continued to watch Hiccup for a while, and when Fishlegs began telling him something, the brunet's expression changed, as a gentle, warm smile graced his lips.

God…he just…he had _no idea_…no idea at all how amazing he was. He was just sitting there, completely unaware…always thinking that he wasn't anything special at all…but he _was_. He was special…

"What's the painting of?" Merida asked Mavis, interrupting Jack's thoughts, while chewing noisily on a chicken wing. Jack smiled softly to himself. His red-haired friend was many things, but charming was not one of them. He reluctantly turned his attention away from Hiccup and back to his friends, because even though he kind of wanted to just stare at the guy forever, it would look weird if anyone saw it, so he needed to pull himself together.

"Actually…it's the four of us" Mavis replied with a happy smirk.

"Really?" Flynn said sounding excited about that. Merida flashed their black-haired friend a wide grin, and Jack found himself smiling as well. It was a nice thought that Mavis wanted to paint them. She had done so before, and each time the result was amazing.

"Yeah. I'm using that picture we took last year, when we went to Hogsmeade to paint after" she explained and Jack remembered it vividly. They had had so much fun that day with snow ball fights, hot chocolate and Christmas shopping and they had ended up taking a picture together in front of the Shrieking Shack. He smiled fondly at the memory. That had been such a great day.

"Oh that was the best day!" Merida exclaimed and Flynn hummed in agreement. Apparently Jack wasn't the only one who remembered that day with so much warmth and joy.

"It really was" Mavis agreed and nodded. "Anyway, it's going pretty well I think. Hopefully I'll have it done by Christmas".

"Great!...Speaking of Christmas, we're going Christmas shopping together again this year, right?" Flynn asked, his brown eyes observing each of them.

"Duh, of course we are" Merida replied with a happy grin.

"Yeah, I'm up for it. Jack?" Mavis said, a smile tugging at her lips.

"Yeah of course" Jack found himself saying genuinely. It had become a tradition of theirs, just like it was a tradition that they would buy presents for each other every year as well.

"Great" Flynn beamed, satisfied that they had all agreed.

"What do you guys think I should buy for my brothers?" Merida asked. They all knew that her three little brothers were quite a handful, and that always made it difficult to buy presents for them, because she had to maintain the balance of giving them something they would enjoy, but wouldn't drive her parents completely crazy. They began brainstorming ideas.

Dinner had essentially been comfortable and familiar for Jack, and he relished the company of his three best friends, even if he wasn't as social as he usually was. Just being around them was soothing though…listening to their banter, hearing their laughter, reminiscing when someone brought up the past…It was all comforting and safe, unlike the complicated feelings and thoughts he was harboring inside, lurking in his mind constantly. He yearned for some kind of relief from it, just for a brief moment, but that wasn't possible. All through the meal he had had to restrain himself to avoid constantly glancing towards the Ravenclaw table to look at Hiccup. How pathetic was_ that_?

When the four Gryffindors were finished with their meals, they left their House table to head towards the common room. Jack shot a quick look at the Ravenclaw table, but frowned when he realized that Hiccup, Fishlegs and Rapunzel were already gone.

~~~~ Hiccup ~~~~

He had needed time to breathe…to organize his thoughts…to try and find _some_ way of dealing with all of this. This entire day had been stressful. He hadn't been able to focus on his classes at all, his mind once again kept drifting towards Jack and Astrid and what he was going to do about all of this. Astrid's presence in several of the classes they shared only managed to increase the stress swirling inside him, because despite keeping her distance, she reminded him of the decision he had to make. Jack's absence in class somehow also only worsened his emotional turmoil. He had been anxious to see his white-haired friend again, so when Jack showed up at dinner, he had been beyond relieved to be able to see him for himself. Despite looking a bit uncertain and less carefree than he usually did, Jack appeared to be okay, which made him relax a bit. However…it was clear that something was bothering his pale friend, and that Jack still didn't want to share what it was.

After dinner he had told Rapunzel and Fishlegs that he needed to go think, and as usual they looked at him with those concerned eyes. He knew they didn't like it when he isolated himself, but at the same time they also knew that this was who he was and how he dealt with things.

He had gone straight to Toothless. He needed to be around his best friend right now. It was still early evening though, so he hadn't picked up his armor, because they wouldn't be flying until later when everyone was sleeping.

As he sat on the ground inside the cave where Toothless stayed, the small fire he had made bathed the surroundings in a warm light, casting shadows along the cave walls. Toothless sat next to him and nudged him on the arm affectionately to show that he knew something was wrong. He had done the same thing yesterday, but Hiccup hadn't wanted to talk about it then, so they'd just gone flying straight away, which had soothed his mind as usual.

"You know me too well, bud" Hiccup told the Night Fury with a warm smile and scratched the top of the black dragon's head.

Toothless let out a low warbling sound that was meant to comfort him and the Night Fury watched him intently with those big, caring, green eyes.

Hiccup sighed. "Things are just…messed up right now, Toothless…"

Toothless lowered his head and pressed his snout against Hiccup's shoulder a few times, encouraging him to speak. He smiled softly at the black dragon.

"Astrid told me yesterday that she has feelings for me and that she wants us to be together…but…I'm not sure at all if that's what I want" he explained to his scaly best friend. Most people would probably look at him like he was a mental patient, talking to a dragon like this, but dragons were _incredibly _intelligent. Toothless always seemed to understand his words, and Hiccup spent time every day before or after their flights telling the Night Fury about what was going on in his life, now that they couldn't be by each other's side all the time like they were back home.

Toothless tilted his massive black head a little and let out a deep sigh to convey that he understood the hopelessness of the situation.

"I know, right?…This is just…too much. I really don't know what to do" he told his best friend and then sighed, before running a hand through his brown hair.

"And…something's going on with Jack too…he has some kind of big problem that he doesn't want to tell me about…and…I accept that, but…it just worries me. I want to help him…but I can't" he said softly and felt the familiar knot of worry grow in his stomach. Jack had been there for him several times by now in their friendship and he really wanted to be able to do the same for him, but…Jack obviously didn't want that right now, so he'd have to give him his space.

Toothless kept watching him with those deep green eyes that were filled with sympathy, and the dragon's face was bathed in the warm glow of the fire. Hiccup reached out and stroked the side of the Night Fury's head a few times.

"It's just hard, bud…I want to be there for him, but he won't let me" he said quietly and trained his eyes on the moving flames of the small fire.

Toothless flattened his ears, while letting out a soft whine to convey his sympathy for his rider's obvious distress.

"Thanks bud…" Hiccup said and smiled warmly at his best friend. Then he shook his head slowly. "I guess I'm getting a taste of my own medicine here, huh? I've been keeping secrets from Jack for a long time…and there are still plenty of things he doesn't know…and now he's doing the same thing with me" he explained and met Toothless' large, worried eyes.

"It just…it really bothers me to know that something's troubling him and that I can't do anything to protect him from it" he added.

Toothless lowered his body and then lied down on the ground, placing his large black head on one of Hiccup's legs and he knew that it was one of dragon's ways of trying to comfort him. He scratched the top of the Toothless' head in gentle, slow movements and the Night Fury let out low, content sounds. The closeness and support of his best friend was soothing for Hiccup's mind, but he still couldn't keep the confused thoughts from swirling in his head, as he stared into the crackling, dancing flames of the fire and continued to pet Toothless.

What could he do for Jack? It was difficult to help him in any way, when he didn't know what was wrong with him…so in a way…all he could really do was be a good friend to him. Let him know that he was there for him, if he wanted to talk sometime or if he needed something else that Hiccup could help him with.

And Astrid…she meant a lot to him and he really didn't want to mess up their friendship. On the other hand, it seemed that no matter what he chose to do, it had the potential to ruin everything between them. If he chose to be with her, it might not last and they could end up hating each other's guts…if he turned her down, things could become so tense and awkward between them that their friendship would slowly cease to exist, because it would be too uncomfortable being around each other. Right now it seemed like no matter what he did it would end badly.

He pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed deeply. He really felt trapped in all of this. He let his palms slide down his face in frustration.

Oh gods…no one should _ever_ confess that they had feelings for him…He should just be alone for the rest of his life…_that_ he knew how to do…he _didn't_ know how to handle any of _this_.

**Author's note:**

So...Jack was the one who realized his feelings first :) Hate it? Love it?

There are several reasons that I chose to do it like that. First of all, I wanted to create a dramatic trigger that would _brutally_ pull one of them out of their denial, and I decided that it would be fun to use Astrid for that, so she could (unknowingly) create some obstacles for our dear boys :) Second of all, a lot of HiJack fics (not all of course but a lot of those I read at least) seem to either have them realizing their feelings somewhat simultanously or have Hiccup pining for Jack, before Jack begins to feel the same way, so I thought I'd do it the other way around :) Also...I thought it would be interesting to turn the tables, so even though Hiccup has been the one so far to be closest to realizing what's going on, he's now been completely sidetracked by Astrid, so he's now too busy trying to figure out how he feels about her to realize how he feels about Jack.

The title of the chapter is a line from the song "A Comet Appears" by The Shins. I chose it because I listened to it a lot, while writing Jack's and Mavis' points of view, because it put me in the right solemn state of mind. Also, even though the song is about the meaninglessness of life in general these lines: "Still to come, the worst part and you know it, there is a numbness in your heart and it's growing" reminded me of this chapter, because Jack now needs to find a way to be around Hiccup and THAT is going to be difficult.

SO...now I just need to decide when (and how!) to pull Hiccup out of his denial. (Edit: I've decided what to do now).

Responses to reviews:

(After this chapter I'm going to reply to all reviews through PM, because...well, it's just more convenient and a lot faster...I'm not sure why I didn't just do that from the start, but oh well, he he)

Kitsu Maxwell: Seriously...you don't know how much I love reading your reviews :D You always have such great comments, and you say so many wonderful things about my story that it makes me all happy inside :D Thank you! You guessed it would be Hiccup, how did you feel about it being Jack instead?

Pooka Spirit: Thank you, that was such a lovely review :D I can't believe this is one of your favourite stories on the whole site, that's an incredible compliment! I hope you liked this new chapter :)

Faisyah865: Thanks for commenting once again :D You're right, there was definitely a lot of HiJack moments in the last chapter. You asked me to update soon, so I hope you're pleased with this quick update, he he.

HuskaAkita: Thank you so much for the kind words, I really appreciate it :) Well...Jack is probably going to be introduced to Toothless in about...two chapters maybe, it's not completely settled yet but it won't be that long.

Lightfromshadows: I'm so happy to hear that you think I've made Hiccup an interesting character. I just feel like a background such as his will have left some emotional damage, and I thought it'd be great to explore that. I hope you liked learning more about him in this chapter with the phantom pains and everything? :) Thank you for the awesome review :D

xXDark AceXx: I not only like your long reviews, I LOVE them :D The longer the better, it just shows that you're interested in my story and that you care what's going to happen to the characters and that is just awesome :) I'm glad you liked the chapter, thanks a lot for once again reviewing. And sure, I'd love to be your beta on that HiJack one-shot you're planning :)

Kigen Dawn: Thanks for reviewing! :) Well, as you know by now it turned out to be Jack, he he :)


	10. Hurt & Comfort

**Author's note:**

Hi guys :) I wasn't planning on updating this soon at all, but I've had insomnia for the past week or so, and I'm one of those people who...If I can't sleep, instead of just tossing and turning in my bed, I get up and occupy myself with something...like writing :) So I got this chapter done a lot faster than I had planned.

In this chapter, Jack continues to pine after Hiccup, while Hiccup has his own problems, being both worried about Jack and trying to figure out what to do with Astrid. In the end, Hiccup makes up his mind and has a talk with Astrid about it.

As usual, I've proof-read the chapter, but my sleep-deprived mind might have missed something, so if you spot any errors/mistakes, let me know...because I really hate errors, heh.

~~~~ Jack ~~~~

As Jack and his friends entered the Great Hall for breakfast as they had done so many times over the last five years, he felt his heart beat faster in his chest and that familiar nervousness churning inside him. It had only been a few days, but he was already beginning to get used to feeling like this, even though he didn't like it one bit. It was exhausting to say the least. As they walked towards the their house table, Jack instantly located Hiccup, Rapunzel and Fishlegs eating and talking by the Ravenclaw table, and the Ravenclaws quickly spotted him as well. He shot a smile at them and waved towards his three friends as usual, but other than that he did his best to not look in their direction, despite really wanting to. If he was going to succeed in pretending that everything was fine, then he really needed to pull himself together. His friendship with Hiccup pretty much depended on it and he could _not_ mess that up. He wanted Hiccup to be in his life. Well…if he was completely honest with himself, it was more than that. He _needed_ him to be in his life.

As he tried his best to eat a little of the pancakes on his plate, that familiar annoying nausea once again rose in his gut, making him lose his appetite, despite his stomach growling in protest from the lack of food. He sighed a little and forced himself to take a few bites, despite feeling sick instantly. He couldn't starve himself, even if he didn't feel like eating. That wouldn't solve anything. In the last few days he hadn't eaten much though, as the confusing thoughts and feelings roiling inside him made him feel ill.

He rubbed his temples a few times to try and relieve the slight headache he had had since he woke up. Parts of the conversations from the Gryffindors around him reached his ears, but he quickly tuned them out and became lost in his own thoughts. It was…weird and unnerving how he and Hiccup had become such a big part of each other's lives in just a few months. He had gone _five years _without knowing the guy at all, and all of the sudden he couldn't imagine not locating that mess of brown hair every day at every meal, not hearing that slightly nasal voice shoot sarcastic remarks at him, not seeing those green eyes filled with amusement or brimming with sharp intelligence and not watching him blush adorably at compliments and appreciative attention.

He sighed to himself and put down his fork, not wanting to eat more. Those few bites had been enough. He focused on just getting something to drink and enjoyed the orange juice as it coated his taste buds with its tangy, refreshing taste. It was nice to get some sugar in his body and before long it seemed to have dulled the slight headache he had and he felt less tired. His body had probably really needed some fuel.

As he began listening to the conversation taking place between his three friends about some girl in Mavis' Frog Choir practice, who was pretty much ruining everything for everyone with her dramatic outbursts whenever the smallest thing went wrong, he continued to resist turning his head to watch Hiccup some more.

It had only been two days since he realized his feelings for Hiccup and he was continuing to struggle with it. His mind was occupied constantly with thoughts of that dorky, amazing Viking boy and he had trouble focusing on anything else. Today was going to be his first day back in classes since he had his panic attack, and a part of him was looking forward to being around his friends and trying to get back to normal but another part was absolutely _dreading _being around Hiccup.

But the universe didn't like him much today it seemed, as he had three classes with Hiccup and only one without him. Not that he wanted to avoid Hiccup as such…he missed him whenever he was away from him, but it was just…complicated dealing with his new found feelings.

As he took another sip of his orange juice, he glanced further down the Gryffindor table and spotted McGowan and Levin, apparently in deep conversation about something. He immediately felt the annoyance swirl inside him. God, they were jerks…he had always disliked them because of their bully tendencies and low intelligence but now that he knew they really couldn't stand Hiccup, it just made him loathe them even more. He still couldn't understand how two mean, idiots like them were in Gryffindor. It _really _made him question the sorting hat's mental stability.

After breakfast, he, Merida and Flynn made their way towards their first class of the day. Hiccup was already gone when they left, but that wasn't unusual. The Viking always left early for classes, even if he shared his first class with Jack and the others. As they entered the large, old Defense against the Dark Arts classroom, Jack immediately spotted that familiar Ravenclaw and his heartbeat instantly quickened. He smiled softly to himself as they approached the brunet, eager to be near him despite his anxiousness, and he slumped down in the seat next to him. Hiccup was in the middle of writing some notes, but when he spotted the movement in his peripheral vision, he turned his head and smiled warmly at Jack and then the others.

Even though he had just seen Hiccup at breakfast, being able to talk to him was a different matter entirely. Despite feeling happy to be near him, he also felt vulnerable, more nervous nausea creeping into his gut. He was determined to _try_ and act normally though.

"Morning guys" Hiccup said fondly and the three Gryffindors all returned his greeting and smiled genuinely, before Merida and Flynn continued the discussion on Flynn's newest fling that they had started in the hallways, when they were on their way here.

Hiccup trained his eyes back on the parchment lying on the table in front of him and began scribbling down more runes on it, his green eyes darting back and forth from the heavy textbook to his notes. The brunet scrunched his face a little in concentration, as he moved the quill swiftly and without hesitation across the paper, creating more of those strange but quite beautiful markings.

Jack observed Hiccup, as he kept writing the runes all along the parchment. He was quite relieved that Hiccup hadn't tried to strike up conversation, but maybe that was just because he really wanted to get those notes done…or maybe he was deliberately keeping some distance. Nonetheless, it was comforting being around him without actually having to talk. Jack was still feeling incredibly insecure about all of this…how he was going to act around Hiccup without him suspecting anything. After all…Hiccup was an observant person.

Jack took out his textbook, some parchment and his quill from his backpack and instantly began twirling the quill in his hand, as a way of occupying himself a little. This was all so unfamiliar to him…He wasn't used to feeling self-conscious or nervous about being around someone. Even the crushes he'd had in the past had_ never_ been like this. With those he'd still been his old, confident, carefree self. Now though…he was a nervous, depressed wreck.

His friendship with Hiccup had been so comfortable right from the start…sure, Hiccup had kept him at arm's length, protecting himself, but it had always been easy to joke around with each other and have long, deep conversations. That was probably going to change now Jack thought to himself with a knot of sadness growing in his stomach.

Hiccup suddenly closed his book and put down the quill, apparently having finished writing his notes. He turned his head and watched Jack for a few moments in silence.

"Are you okay?" the brunet asked him quietly, his green eyes softening.

No he wasn't. Not remotely okay. How was he feeling? Self-conscious…nauseous…nervous…sad…all of it was whirling in his mind and his gut.

"Yeah…I'll be fine" he found himself saying without much emotion.

Hiccup watched him intently with those forest green eyes that seemed to be searching his own blue ones for something and Jack was_ so_ close to looking away, but he forced himself not to. It was unpleasant to have Hiccup look at him like that…like he could read his mind.

Hiccup gave him a small, slightly sad smile that clearly indicated that he didn't believe him at all. Oh shit. Well…Jack wasn't really surprised that Hiccup had noticed…but it still made him uneasy.

Nonetheless, his Viking friend didn't try to get him to talk about it but just broke eye contact, turned his head and then took out his sketchbook from his black satchel. Then he flipped it open and began working on a drawing of Rapunzel and Pascal. Hiccup never occupied himself with drawing before class when Jack was around, so it was a clear sign that the Ravenclaw wanted to give him some space, which he was quite grateful for. As Hiccup began tracing the charcoal pencil along the paper, carefully working on Pascal's scales, he started biting his bottom lip in concentration and leaned his head forward a little to focus on the tiny details of the small animal. His brown hair fell slightly into his eyes and he quickly pushed it aside, tucking some of it behind one ear.

Jack found himself staring and he really wanted to reach out and touch him…just…let his hands roam through those soft, brown locks or feel the smooth skin on his face or let his fingertips trail along his lips and just lean in and crash his own lips against them and…

No. Don't think about that. _Never_ think about that. _Ever_. He really had to _stop _thinking those kinds of thoughts…it was too distracting and it would only make his emotions grow stronger. He couldn't let that happen.

"Hey Jack?" he heard that familiar, slightly nasal voice say, breaking his trance.

"Yeah?" he asked, pulling himself out of his thoughts and meeting Hiccup's amused eyes. The Ravenclaw had stopped drawing and was now looking at him. Great…He instantly felt self-conscious and he _really _hoped that Hiccup wasn't aware that he was in fact staring at him.

"You were kind of gone there for a minute" the brunet told him with a small, genuine smile tugging at his lips. Okay…so apparently Hiccup_ didn't_ know. Thank whatever god there might be for that.

But what could he say to that? Oh yeah, you know…I was just thinking about what it would be like to grope you and then kiss the living daylights out of you?

Yeah…Not gonna happen.

"Yeah, I know…I'm just really tired, so I spaced out a little" Jack said and shrugged, trying his best to not look embarrassed.

Hiccup chuckled in response and the familiar sound made Jack feel warm inside. "Okay, Snowflake…Just don't fall asleep" he replied, amusement seeping into his voice.

"Why not?" he asked the brunet with a raised eyebrow, even though the answer was fairly obvious, and he briefly met Hiccup's green eyes.

"Because…A) professor Bunnymund would probably give you detention, B) I don't want drool on the table…and C) I'd draw all over your face" Hiccup told him and then smirked.

"What? I don't drool when I sleep" Jack immediately protested, temporarily forgetting that he was really insecure around Hiccup right now. "And don't you dare ever draw on this beautiful face, you stupid Viking" he finished, pretending to be offended, but he was actually really enjoying getting back to _some_ kind of normalcy with Hiccup, even if it was just for a little while. Their friendly banter was safe and familiar to him…unlike the emotions inside him.

Hiccup chuckled a little at that. "Well, I've warned you now, _Snær Flekkr*_…if you fall asleep, I'll do stuff to you."

Jack instantly felt a blush spread through his pale cheeks but he quickly willed it away. Hiccup should _not_ be allowed to say things like that. He couldn't get embarrassed though…that would definitely let Hiccup know that something was very wrong, since he usually_ never_ got embarrassed around him. He was already having trouble maintaining eye contact with him, because those analyzing, attentive green eyes made him feel insecure.

"Fine fine, Hic…I won't fall asleep then. I don't want my face marred" he retorted dryly.

"Marred? I think the word you're looking for is _"improved_" Hiccup shot back, and apparently Flynn and Merida had overheard this, as they both began to chuckle.

"What? Like all of this could ever be improved" Jack said with that familiar arrogant attitude in place and gestured to himself.

Hiccup just smiled in amusement, before turning his attention to his drawing once more, which Jack felt quite relieved about. Sure, it was nice and familiar to joke around with him, but he still couldn't really feel comfortable looking him in the eye for more than a brief moment. It had been a huge relief though, that he at least managed to do _some_ friendly banter. That was progress. Maybe there_ was_ some hope for him to act normally around Hiccup.

As Hiccup briefly scratched his head and focused on his drawing, Jack watched the two small braids in the Viking's hair sway a little. He had wondered several times during their friendship if Astrid had been the one to give him those to begin with, since she seemed to take great joy in redoing them whenever they were coming undone. There was no way he could ask about that without it seeming weird though…was there? Somehow, he really wanted to know…try to find some tiny, small way of decoding how Hiccup felt about Astrid…and yet…something told him that he probably wouldn't like the answer.

The fact that Hiccup still needed to make a decision on what to do with Astrid was looming over Jack like a dark cloud. How he hoped that Hiccup would just…turn her down. That wasn't very realistic though.

He sighed a little to himself. Screw it. He was just going to ask anyway. Maybe initiating some talking would also serve to make him feel more normal around Hiccup.

"Hey Hic?" he asked hesitantly, keeping his blue eyes on the quill in his hand.

"Yeah?" the Viking replied and Jack felt his green eyes on his pale skin.

"I was just thinking…" he began uncertainly. "Your braids…were they your idea?" he asked the Ravenclaw and then looked him in the eye for a moment, before observing the table in front of him.

Hiccup chuckled. "No…braids are pretty common among Vikings and…one day some of the kids on Berk decided to give me these. Then Astrid took a liking to them and just started redoing them whenever they unraveled…and then Rapunzel started to do that as well, and since then…Well, I've just gotten used to them now, so I even do them myself sometimes too if they're undone" the brunet explained.

Jack nodded in response with a small smile. He was relieved that Astrid hadn't given them to Hiccup, but the thought of her touching him like that…made his gut practically bubble with annoyance. He quickly pushed it down though. It was no use wasting energy on that.

"Why are you asking?" Hiccup said curiously and tilted his head a little.

He was asking because he wanted to find _some_ discreet way of figuring out how Hiccup actually felt about Astrid. If she _had _given him those braids and he had kept them all this time, then…it seemed like there might be something more between them.

"I don't know, I was just thinking…you know, because it doesn't seem like something you would do" he found himself saying, which was a lot better than what he was thinking.

"Well, you're right about that" Hiccup replied and then let out a yawn, covering his mouth with one hand.

"Well well, seems like Jack's not the only one who's tired" Flynn's amused voice said from next to Jack.

Hiccup turned his attention to their mutual friend. "Yeah…I lost track of time again and didn't get much sleep" he said and then shrugged.

"Geez Hiccup, that happens like…_a lot_. Maybe you should start being less distracted" Merida said with an amused grin and Flynn hummed in agreement.

"I know I know…I just…get lost in my own mind sometimes" the brunet said sheepishly and then let out another yawn. Flynn and Merida giggled while Jack smiled a little at the Ravenclaw's exhaustion. Merida was right…it was a common occurrence that Hiccup didn't get enough sleep. His brunet friend always said that he was just good at losing track of time when he was occupied with something, but…somehow it had always seemed like there was more behind that statement than Jack could figure out. Not that that was a surprise…Hiccup was a difficult person to figure out.

Jack was quite grateful that professor Bunnymund had abandoned his usual practical approach today. In general he loved that Defense against the Dark Arts always had so many actual exercises, where they got to practice the spells, but today…he didn't really feel like being active in any way, so he was content with just listening to their blue-haired Australian professor's lecture on dementors and the Patronus charm. Apparently, they were all going to be practicing this charm next time, and despite his depressed mood, Jack actually found himself looking forward to that. He had often wondered what his Patronus would be. He tried his best to scribble down a few notes here and there, but more often than not he found himself sneaking discreet glances at Hiccup, who was eagerly writing down runes on his parchment and once in a while raising his hand to answer the professor's questions as usual. He wasn't a Ravenclaw for nothing, Jack thought to himself with a hint of amusement. It was _so _pathetic that he kept trying to look at him without him noticing, but he just…couldn't help himself.

After class, as he, Hiccup and Flynn headed towards Transfiguration while Merida had Earth Magic, Jack was lost in his own thoughts. Usually, they kept themselves occupied on their way to class with banter and talking, but he really didn't feel like doing that right now, so he just listened to the conversation taking place between Flynn and Hiccup about the Patronus charm. Apparently they were just as eager as Jack to find out what their Patronuses would be. Not that that was surprising…there was a certain psychological aspect to finding out what sort of animal represented you, so it would be exciting to find out for all of them.

As the three of them continued to walk next to each other down the busy corridors, they were bumping shoulders with other students once in a while and a blanket of sound from excited chatter, rustling bags and shoes scraping across stone floors bounced off the old castle walls. He found himself considering whether or not he should sling an arm around Hiccup as usual. On one hand, Hiccup was used to that and he might find it strange if Jack stopped doing it, but on the other hand…he wasn't sure if he could handle having him that close to him. A part of him had a desperate need to feel Hiccup's familiar warmth, but another part was afraid that he would act even weirder if he had his arm around the brunet. He wasn't sure at all that he could restrain himself from doing something stupid.

He ended up not doing it and Hiccup didn't seem to question that, thankfully. Of course the brunet had noticed but he didn't say anything and that was a bit of a relief. Jack missed their closeness though. It had become such a natural part of their friendship by now that it was weird to suddenly stop it. He was really hoping that he could become comfortable with leaving friendly touches on Hiccup again. It would hit him pretty hard if he couldn't even touch the guy anymore without feeling awkward and nervous. Not to mention that…if he stopped completely, Hiccup would _definitely_ become suspicious.

As the three of them continued their walk towards Transfiguration, Jack remained quiet, lost in his own thoughts. When they turned a corner and headed down another passageway, this one a little less busy, someone suddenly poked him on the shoulder. He stopped in his tracks and turned around, surprised by the contact.

Oh great, he thought sarcastically as he took in the girl standing behind him. It was some brunette Ravenclaw girl who was smiling shyly at him. God, he really didn't have the energy for this…usually he would always take the time to be nice and polite to whatever girl approached him, but with those new emotions making him feel so depressed, he just…didn't feel like handling this at all. He glanced behind him and saw Flynn and Hiccup standing still, observing him with knowing looks.

"Hi Jack" the girl said with a small smile and he turned his attention back to her.

"Hi" he replied without much emotion. He really wished that he could be more enthusiastic and friendly right now, but he just…felt drained.

"Uhmm…I just…wanted to give you this" she told him and passed him a note.

He took it reluctantly without saying anything. He forced himself to give her a tiny, strained smile though. He was sad and tired and he _really _didn't want to handle this, but he also didn't want to be a jerk.

"Well…see you Jack" she said awkwardly and then turned around and walked away from him, disappearing down the corridor.

He stood still for a few moments, just watching her retreat, before he turned around and briefly locked eyes with Flynn and then Hiccup. He shrugged and began covering the distance between them, and then the three of them once again walked next to each other on their way to class.

He used to be amused and slightly happy to receive notes from girls. It was nice to know that people liked him so much. Now however, as he unfolded the note and took in the short, complimentary message, he wasn't pleased at all. It wasn't that he disliked the girl or the message in any way…it was just because this reminded him that he wasn't interested in any of those girls. He was only interested in one person and that person was walking next to him completely oblivious to his inner turmoil.

~~~~ Hiccup ~~~~

There were only a few other students present, as he, Flynn and Jack took their seats by one of the tables in the Transfiguration classroom. Rapunzel hadn't arrived yet, but that wasn't so strange, since their Defense against the Dark Arts class had ended a little early, so his golden-haired friend was probably just getting out of class now.

A yawn escaped his lips, expressing his tiredness as he put his black satchel on the table. Gods, he really_ should_ be better at keeping track of time but…flying with Toothless was just what he enjoyed doing more than anything in the world, so time always passed so quickly before he even managed to think about it.

As he felt eyes burn into his skin, he turned his head and met Jack's familiar blue eyes for a brief moment, before his pale friend looked away. He sighed a little to himself and tugged on one of his braids. Jack tried his best to hide it, but there was_ definitely_ still something _very_ wrong with him and Hiccup didn't like it one bit. He had trouble maintaining eye contact for more than a few moments, he didn't initiate any physical contact like he usually did, he seemed melancholy and tired and he was a lot quieter than usual. A few times he obviously forced himself to maintain eye contact, but Hiccup could easily tell that it was difficult for him and that he didn't like it at all. He felt that familiar knot of worry grow in his gut, as he once again…perhaps for the hundredth time in the last couple of days…ran scenarios through his mind on what could possibly be bothering Jack _this_ much. As usual though, he came up empty. He ran a hand through his brown hair in a quick, frustrated gesture.

All of this was such a strange and unpleasant change from how Jack usually was and despite the fact that it had only lasted a few days, Hiccup already really missed his friend. He missed Jack's carefree demeanor, his bubbly laughter, his pranks, his friendly teasing..._everything_. He was really hoping that things could go back to normal soon…that Jack would get better. It actually hurt him to see his white-haired friend like this and he felt helpless because he couldn't do_ anything_ about it.

Once again, he took out his sketchbook and his charcoal pencils and began working on the drawing of Rapunzel and Pascal, while Flynn tried to engage Jack in a conversation about what they were going to do for their annual Christmas shopping trip to Hogsmeade. He wasn't completely successful though, as Jack only gave him short, quiet replies, which was very out of character for the white-haired prankster, as he_ loved_ Christmas. Hiccup just kept his green eyes trained on his drawing and focused on getting Rapunzel's eyes just right. He had promised that he would let Jack have his secrets and give him space and time to recover from whatever was obviously gnawing at his mind, and he would keep that promise. So unless Jack began to initiate something himself, Hiccup would just be by his side for support, but not try too much to get him to talk or do anything else he might not want to…despite how much he just wanted to chase the pale teen's demons away and soothe his mind.

Suddenly his thoughts drifted to Astrid and once again he felt the anxiety spread through him, making him feel sick. He still had that decision to make…the one that would probably end badly no matter what he decided and he was dreading it. He still had no idea what to do, but he had decided that he was going to have a long talk with Rapunzel and Fishlegs about it to get their perspectives on it…maybe they could help him figure it all out.

Suddenly he spotted movement in his peripheral vision so he lifted his head and saw Rapunzel approach them with a gentle smile on her face, carrying a few books under one arm.

"Hi guys" she said happily and took a seat on Hiccup's other side, placing the books on the table and putting her brown shoulder bag on it as well.

"Hey" Hiccup said fondly, followed by "Hi Rapunzel" from both Jack and Flynn.

Hiccup saw something familiar in the bag, so he leaned over and took a quick look inside it to see Pascal all cuddled up in Rapunzel's blue and grey striped Ravenclaw scarf.

"Hey Pascal" He greeted the small lizard, who quickly looked up and smiled at him before going back to just relaxing in his comfortable position.

"How was DADA?" Rapunzel asked curiously and Hiccup turned his attention back to his bubbly, blonde friend.

"It was fine. We're actually going to practice the Patronus charm next time" he told her, unable to keep the excitement out of his voice. He was really looking forward to that and he was curious to see what his Patronus would be. Also…being a Viking and a dragonrider, Hiccup liked being prepared for _anything_, so the magic he was most eager to learn and paid most attention to at Hogwarts, were the kinds that could help defend himself or those he cared about. Since the Patronus charm was a powerful spell against dark creatures, he _really _wanted it to become a part of his arsenal as soon as possible.

"Really? That's great" Rapunzel said enthusiastically, a bright smile lighting up her gentle face.

"Yeah, it'll be fun to see what it is…and if I can even do it" Hiccup told the blonde girl next to him. He was under no illusions…he did very well in most classes and he was usually one of the first to successfully pull off new spells, but…the Patronus charm was notoriously difficult, so it might take some time before he would be able to cast it.

"Of course you can, Hiccup…sure it's a difficult spell, but you're talented, so it won't be a problem" Rapunzel reassured him, tucking a blonde lock of hair behind one of her ears.

"Thanks" he replied with a soft smile. He really appreciated her confidence in him. Rapunzel always seemed to believe in him no matter how much he doubted himself and that was quite heartwarming.

"Just hope it's not an embarrassing Patronus" Rapunzel then said with an amused smile, as she stuck her hand into her bag and gently stroked Pascal for a brief moment.

"Like what?" he asked her curiously and tilted his head a little. He hadn't even considered that a Patronus could be embarrassing.

"Like…" the blonde started and her forehead creased for a few seconds in contemplation. "A pig…or a rat…or a…dung beetle" she finished with a smirk.

Hiccup and Flynn both chuckled at that, and when he glanced at Jack, he could see a small smile tugging at the pale teen's lips.

"Wow...thanks for thinking that those are even possibilities for me" Hiccup said sarcastically and then rolled his eyes.

"Come on, you know I was only kidding" Rapunzel told him and did a dismissive gesture with one of her hands.

"I know" he confirmed with a warm smile.

"It'll probably be a slug" his blonde friend said with an amused smirk and then nudged his shoulder playfully..

"It better _not _be" Hiccup said in protest. "A Viking with a slug for a Patronus? That's just_ not_ okay. Besides…I don't even want to _think_ about what that would say about my personality" he finished, his lips twitching.

"I'm hoping my Patronus will be something cool…like a panther…or a wolf" Flynn said excitedly, his brown eyes practically brimming with anticipation.

"It'll probably be a peacock, you preening bastard" Jack muttered in quiet amusement and Hiccup, Flynn and Rapunzel all laughed at that. Even though Jack was obviously sad these days, it warmed Hiccup's heart when he actually threw in a funny comment once in a while, so he could see a glimpse of the Jack he knew so well.

"Aww, that's harsh, Jackie" Flynn said, pretending to be hurt and then nudged Jack's shoulder. "I'm not _that _bad…and at least it won't be a bloody arctic lemming or a chubby penguin like yours will probably be."

"What? I'm not chubby!" Jack protested, causing Hiccup and Rapunzel to chuckle a little.

"No, I _know_ that, you're almost like a twig" Flynn shot back and Jack instantly scowled at him, much to Hiccup's amusement. "But you and Merida…you're definitely chubby on the inside. I have no idea why the two of you aren't the size of professor Brown yet" Flynn finished with a challenging smirk.

Jack scoffed. "I am_ not_ as bad as Merida."

"No, but you still eat _way _more than what should be physically possible to be inside the stomach of a skinny guy like you."

Hiccup couldn't stop himself from smiling at that and Rapunzel giggled next to him. Flynn's words were definitely true…Jack was a fairly skinny guy, but he ate quite a lot. Definitely not as much as Merida, who seemed to be_ unable_ to be full, but still…

"Whatever…_Eugene_" Jack shot back with a small smirk and Flynn's brown eyes immediately widened.

Hiccup was confused at Flynn's reaction, but there was obviously a story behind Jack's comment. He shared a quick look with Rapunzel, who looked just as baffled as he did.

"Fine. You win, Jackie" Flynn said reluctantly and scowled at Jack before smiling a little in amusement.

Hiccup shook his head slowly to himself with a smile on his lips, before quickly glancing around the room. He suddenly locked eyes with Emily, a fellow Ravenclaw and she waved at him and gave him a bright but slightly shy smile. He instantly looked away but of course it didn't make a difference…he was immediately feeling flustered and embarrassed. His mind quickly scolded him.

Seriously, Hiccup…you are a Viking and a dragon rider and yet…if anyone shows _any_ interest in you, you're like a blushing schoolgirl. Why are you seemingly incapable of acting like a normal human being? Well…obviously, you are _not_ normal, but still…just pretend to be at least once in a while.

For this Transfiguration class they were asked to transfigure tortoises into rabbits and as usual when they practiced transfiguration spells, there were some hilarious results. After a brief lecture from professor Hyde on the spell they were going to be using, as well as the wand movements associated with it, he, Rapunzel, Jack and Flynn set to work.

Hiccup had tears in his eyes, as Rapunzel was the first to try to transfigure her poor tortoise and it ended up still being a tortoise except for the long white furry ears and the white fluffy tail. The blonde huffed in mock offense when he couldn't contain his amusement and she challenged him to do better. He nearly choked on his own laughter at the look on Rapunzel's face, when he transfigured his own tortoise into a fluffy, black rabbit perfectly in the first attempt. The look of pure disbelief transforming her entire face and then the following discontent evident on her features was just too amusing. She was clearly _not_ happy with the fact that he had won her little challenge, but shortly after a bright smile graced her lips.

Flynn and Jack were having fun as well, even though his white-haired friend was quieter and less carefree and happy than usual. Hiccup felt very relieved when he actually heard Jack laugh for the first time in days and he felt a warm, soft fondness spread in his stomach to see the pale teen's face light up like that. Even though Jack had only been in a bad mood for a few days, it felt like _much_ longer, and it just…wasn't how he was supposed to be. Hiccup was used to Jack's laughter and smiles and now that they were suddenly a rare occurrence, it was like something vital and familiar was missing. His pale friend's sudden amusement was a result of Flynn trying to perform the transfiguration, but ending up creating a_ very_ dissatisfied looking tortoise with two big white rabbit feet and a rabbit head. He and Rapunzel couldn't hold their laughter back either. That weird looking tortoise-rabbit looked at Flynn with its eyes full of annoyance and blame and that was just too much for the teens to handle.

When class was almost over, professor Hyde announced that next time they were going to begin practicing turning each other into animals. This caused an excited squeal to leave Rapunzel's lips and Hiccup chuckled at his friend's joy. He was looking forward to this as well, as human transfiguration was one of the most difficult kinds…and also one of the most interesting in his opinion. He was just hoping that Rapunzel (or Jack or Flynn) wouldn't transfigure him into some kind of weird cross-breed like they usually did with the animals they cast the spells on. He really didn't feel like ending up being half a Viking and half a guinea pig or something like that, he thought to himself in amusement.

~~~~ Jack ~~~~

After their Transfiguration class it was time for Potions, so Jack, Flynn, Hiccup and Rapunzel walked together along one of the passageways on their way to the old, gloomy dungeons. It definitely helped with Jack's awkwardness around Hiccup to have Rapunzel present, as she occupied the Viking with plenty of talking about everything from her newest painting to Pascal's latest habit of stealing her socks to sleep inside them. She was only walking beside them for a little while though, as she didn't have Potions but had to head in the same direction for her next class.

As Jack, Flynn and Hiccup descended the old stairs to the dungeon and then entered the large, gloomy classroom that always smelled of old parchment and potions residue, Jack quickly spotted the two familiar people by their usual workstation. Merida was apparently complaining about Potions once again to Mavis, who listened attentively and with genuine interest, despite having heard these same complaints for years now. A small smile tugged at his lips as he and Flynn approached their two fellow Gryffindors. Mavis and Merida both turned their heads towards them as they spotted them and smiled in return.

Hiccup took his place next to Fishlegs, who was already present as well, sitting by the workstation next to theirs, as had become a habit since they all became friends, because this way they could be close to each other in class, despite not sharing workstations.

"So what's the torture we're going to have to endure today?" Jack heard Merida's voice say, as he sat down in the chair next to hers, while Flynn placed himself next to Mavis as usual.

"I think it's a love potion antidote" Mavis explained and flipped open her Potions textbook.

"That will be nice to know" Flynn said with a nod, obviously content with that information.

"Aw, come on…you haven't even been_ close_ to being poisoned with a love potion yet" Mavis argued with a small, amused smile.

"True, but that's probably only because I've taken Hiccup's advice to _never _drink or eat anything that fangirls give me…they can be seriously sneaky and devious sometimes…right Jackie?" Flynn explained and turned his attention to Jack.

"Yeah, definitely" Jack replied but didn't elaborate. It was true though…and he had also taken Hiccup's advice since that day where they were taught how to brew Amortentia and he saw the excited looks in several of the girls' eyes.

"See?" Flynn said with a raised eyebrow at Mavis, who just shook her head slowly.

Merida rolled her eyes. "Like anyone would bother to give _you_ a love potion."

"Except for you of course" Flynn shot back and gave Merida a flirty look that caused Mavis to chuckle and a tiny smile to appear on Jack's face.

"Right…" Merida said and her voice was dripping with sharp sarcasm. "I just_ yearn_ so much for you."

"Oh I know you do, Curly. All those spiteful remarks are clearly just a way of covering up the sexual tension between us" Flynn retorted in a low, husky voice and wagged his eyebrows suggestively.

Mavis sputtered with laughter, while Merida narrowed her eyes, but was unable to hide the amusement in them. Jack couldn't help shaking his head and chuckle just a little.

As Merida and Mavis became occupied by a conversation about Mavis' overprotective dad, who had apparently once again questioned her in his latest letter on whether any boys were trying something suspicious with her, Flynn pulled his textbook out of his bag and began flipping through the pages. Jack knew that he hadn't studied for today, so he was obviously trying to get some last minute knowledge in his head. Jack hadn't studied either, because…well, because he had a lot of trouble focusing these days, but luckily he had a knack for Potions, so he would get through it anyway.

He found himself looking towards Hiccup, and he smiled a little to himself, when the brunet let out a massive yawn, like he had already done several times during the day. The Ravenclaw leaned in over the workstation, placed his arms in front of him and rested his weary head of brown locks on them. Fishlegs shot Hiccup an amused glance, before turning back to eagerly writing notes on his parchment. Hiccup just lied there for a while, closing his eyes and inhaling and exhaling evenly, clearly exhausted. His nose wrinkled slightly as he sniffed once and then he smacked his lips a few times, before his face was once again peaceful and still. Jack felt an instant fluttering inside his stomach and suddenly all he wanted to do was to go over there and run his fingers through the brunet's hair. How was it even _possible _that a _dragon-riding Viking_ could be adorable? Those things seemed to strongly contradict each other and yet…in Hiccup…they just didn't. He was positively _cute_, as all of his defense mechanisms were melting away as exhaustion shielded his mind from forming its usual self-conscious, guarded thoughts and conclusions. Jack smiled softly to himself as he continued to observe Hiccup leaned over the table, resting his head on his arms with his eyes closed. He had often thought about how it seemed that Hiccup had a lot of trouble just resting his mind…just letting go of all the thoughts swirling in his head. He was definitely one of those people whose mind was_ always _occupied with something, and he would often retreat into his own thoughts, lost to the world around him…so in moments such as this…when he was in between the waking- and the sleeping world…it finally seemed like he could get a moment of peace.

Jack's thoughts were interrupted, as Hiccup slowly opened his eyes again and blinked a few times to focus his vision. He lifted his head off the workstation and sat up straight again, a yawn escaping his lips, as he covered his mouth with one hand. Then he turned his head, trained his eyes on Jack and smiled softly and tiredly in a mix of honest affection and exhaustion. Jack couldn't stop the warm smile that spread across his face, even if he had actually tried and for a second time today, he temporarily forgot just how tense it was to be around Hiccup at the moment.

How had he even managed to be in denial from the start? Now that he had realized how he felt, it'd been obvious for so long. How had he actually been able to convince himself that it was nothing but friendship? It seemed almost surreal now.

Hiccup broke eye contact with him and just looked at the table in front of him for a few moments, before sighing and then pulling out his textbook from his black satchel.

Suddenly Jack felt the warmth inside him disappear, as unwelcome thoughts of Hiccup and Astrid entered his mind without his permission. He felt the sadness and the anxiety build up inside him, churning in his stomach and he felt his chest constrict. He was hoping for some kind of miracle…some kind of divine intervention that would make Hiccup reject Astrid. Not that that was very likely but…Jack was clinging to that small, almost non-existent sliver of hope.

As he turned his gaze away from Hiccup, he noticed Mavis' watching him from across their workstation. She gave him a small, sympathetic smile and her blue eyes conveyed that she understood what he was going through right now. Somehow that comforted him a little bit…that he wasn't completely alone in this.

Mavis had been right, when she'd told Jack that he had been rationalizing it…seeing signs of his feelings for Hiccup once in a while, but just…explaining them as something else to convince himself that nothing unusual was going on. Now though…that would never be possible again, and as he once again found himself staring at Hiccup and feeling his heart beat faster in his chest, one thing was painfully unavoidable.

He was crushing so _unbelievably hard_ on his friend…

~~~~ Hiccup ~~~~

Potions had been fairly uneventful and even though he was incredibly tired, he managed to brew a nice example of the love potion antidote, a potion he _definitely_ had to remember despite his rule of never eating or drinking anything that a stranger gave him. He had remained quiet through most of the class, being content to just work in silence next to Fishlegs. The tiredness almost seemed to form a barrier between him and the rest of the world that caused him to not really pay any attention to the people around him, the sounds, the smells or anything else besides just following these potion instructions. The only thing he had really noticed except his own exhaustion and the fact that both he and Fishlegs did just fine brewing their batches, was that Jack was helping Merida with her potion as usual despite his awful mood, which spoke volumes of how good a friend the pale teen really was.

When professor Creek dismissed the class, he and Fishlegs said goodbye to their Gryffindor friends and met up with Rapunzel by the greenhouses outside, as they had herbology with professor Cherry as their last class of the day. As usual, Hiccup enjoyed being in the greenhouses among all the green plants and colorful flowers and the fresh smell of dirt. Luckily they weren't dealing with anything venomous today, which Hiccup was quite relieved about. It was always pretty tense to handle a plant that could potentially kill you and for some strange reason, the most dangerous plants were always the most homicidal ones.

Their young, blonde professor told them that they would be dealing with Fanged Geraniums and began to eagerly explain the different properties and uses for this particular plant. Even though the green, medium-sized plant wasn't venomous, it had several sharp teeth and there was a big risk of getting bitten by it, since they had to try and pull the fangs out. Apparently they were used as a potions ingredient. Since the Fanged Geraniums weren't deadly, each student had their own example of the sharp-toothed piece of flora, and Hiccup and his two friends all ended up with nasty bite marks on their arms from that temperamental plant. Hiccup had noticed that Jarvis, Know and Kinney kept their distance since that confrontation with them in the hallways, where Jack and Flynn looked like they were ready to rip the three Slytherins' heads off. Hiccup enjoyed not having to deal with them, even though he still received icy glares from them from across the room…but he could easily handle that.

Since he, Fishlegs and Rapunzel were finished early with extracting the fangs from their plants, they spent the rest of the class discussing what in the world Hiccup should do with Astrid and her confession. They kept their distance to the rest of the students so they wouldn't overhear something, this was a very private matter after all, and Hiccup began to explain to his friends what he was confused about and asked for their perspective on all of this. His two friends listened to him patiently and then both gave him their input on how they perceived this whole situation and how he could get a clearer sense of how he really felt about his blonde friend. After discussing it for a while, Fishlegs and Rapunzel managed to make him see things from another angle, and by the end of the herbology class, he knew what he was going to do. That didn't stop the anxiety that was echoing through his whole body though. Ever since Astrid told him about her feelings, he had been nervous and on edge and he _really _didn't like that feeling. Also…Astrid had confessed to him and made herself completely vulnerable, so she deserved to get an answer as soon as possible. Even though it was going to be terrifying having that talk with her, because he was so bad at handling emotional issues and because of the unpredictability of the situation, it would be a relief when it was over.

After classes he had gone to detention with professor Cooke, since he had missed Building, Managing and Repairing Magical Objects a few days ago, when Jack had that panic attack and they all went looking for him. It was actually quite lucky that it was that particular class he had missed, as detention with professor Cooke was definitely_ not_ going to be terrible. He liked the knowledgeable, mild-mannered professor who shared his enthusiasm about building and mending things. The dark-haired professor had requested that Hiccup helped him today after classes with repairing some magical objects as his detention and Hiccup didn't mind that at all. Sure, he would like to spend time with his friends, but if he had to have detention, this was a very nice way of doing it. Besides…Fishlegs and Rapunzel would be occupied today with an assignment for Magical History anyway, and since Jack seemed to want to keep a little distance at the moment, it seemed like good timing.

He and professor Cooke sat in the workshop together, working through a pile of assorted magical items that were broken or cursed in one way or another and needed fixing. Hiccup was still feeling very tired but he worked on the objects with enthusiasm nonetheless. After all…this was one of the things he really liked doing and mending things was always soothing to his mind, because fixing stuff was nice and uncomplicated, unlike emotional damage that _couldn't_ be fixed. The professor questioned him on each item, asking him what sort of magical properties it held, what kind of risks there would be in mending it as well as what the best approach to repairing the damage would be. Then they split up the pile of items in two and set to work on them, keeping up casual conversation all the while. Professor Cooke asked him several questions about what he had built and repaired in the past, since the professor had obviously noticed from the beginning that Hiccup already had a lot of knowledge in this area that other students didn't when they started this class. He was very impressed and interested to hear about the weapons and inventions that Hiccup had made during the years, and in turn professor Cooke told him about some inventions that he himself had made, including several ones that had gone terribly wrong, which caused them both to laugh as they were familiar with the whole "trial and error" thing that came with being an inventor.

After detention he headed straight to the Great Hall, as it was already time for dinner. As he entered the familiar, large room with the ceiling enchanted to look like the sky, the wall of noise hit him right away, threatening to give him an instant headache. As usual, the sounds of students eagerly chatting, cutlery and glasses clinking and trays and plates being moved across tables echoed through the hall, but it was always less noticeable when you'd been there from the start.

He quickly spotted Rapunzel and Fishlegs already sitting down, eating and talking, and he began to walk towards them. As he made his way to his two friends, he glanced at the Gryffindor table and waved at Jack, Merida, Mavis and Flynn who all returned the gesture eagerly. Jack even gave him a small smile, despite the pale teen's horrible mood and Hiccup smiled fondly at him in return. He also spotted Astrid sitting further down the table, and just seeing her made his stomach churn with nervousness, as he knew he was going to have that talk with her soon.

When he was close to his two Ravenclaw friends, Fishlegs and Rapunzel turned their heads towards him, their lips twitching genuinely. He sat down next to Rapunzel and the blonde nudged his shoulder as a greeting, while a happy "Hi Hiccup" was heard from Fishlegs.

"Hey guys" he said and reached out to grab a pitcher of pumpkin juice. He was really thirsty after having fixed all those magical items in detention.

"How was detention?" Fishlegs asked curiously, stabbing a piece of meat with his fork and then eating it, while Hiccup poured some of the pumpkin juice into his cup.

"Easy" Hiccup replied. "It didn't really feel like detention at all. I was just…mending stuff and talking to professor Cooke. Neither of those things were really a punishment" he explained, while he put the pitcher down again.

"That's lucky" Rapunzel replied with a smile. "I don't think the rest of us will be that fortunate with our detentions."

"Well, you never know" Hiccup told her and shrugged. "So…did you get that assignment done then?" he asked and then drank some of the juice in his cup, enjoying the fresh taste.

"Almost" the blonde girl replied and nodded. "We _would_ have been completely done, if it wasn't because Fish thought he was being attacked by a homicidal maniac and ended up knocking over several shelves of books, so we had to spend time picking them up and putting them back in the right places" she finished explaining, gesturing with her hands as a grin appeared on her face.

Despite his nervous mood, Hiccup couldn't contain his laughter and Rapunzel giggled. Fishlegs looked at them a bit sheepishly, while twiddling his thumbs, obviously feeling quite embarrassed by this whole thing.

"Seriously, _Fiskr_*?" Hiccup asked his Viking friend with a raised eyebrow.

"Yeah…" Fishlegs replied and a faint pink color appeared on his cheeks.

"Why didn't the librarian just put them back magically?" he asked his two friends, tilting his head of brown hair a little in curiosity.

"Well…let's just say that she wasn't too happy about the situation _at all_, so…I think she just felt like punishing us" Rapunzel explained with a tiny amused smirk on her face.

"Oh" Hiccup replied, still with a bright smile. "So…what was the life-threatening monster that was attacking you then?" he asked with a smirk, knowing that it would probably be something _completely_ harmless as usual.

"Uhmm…" Fishlegs started, while his blue eyes darted back and forth from Hiccup to Rapunzel. "It might have been…a first year Hufflepuff."

Hiccup sputtered with laughter at that, unable to keep it in and Rapunzel's face lit up in a grin at his amusement.

"_Really_? Well, I can see why you felt the need to defend yourself then…those should_ never _be underestimated" he said sarcastically with a smile on his lips.

"Oh, ha ha" Fishlegs shot back and stuck his tongue out and Rapunzel and Hiccup both chuckled.

As his two friends became occupied by a conversation on whether the librarian were going to have a permanent grudge against them now, Hiccup's slightly better mood quickly disappeared as he retreated into his own mind. He had decided what he was going to tell Astrid, but he was _really _worried about it and somehow he just wanted to do it as soon as possible to get it over with, so the anxiousness wouldn't flow through his veins anymore.

Apparently his friends had picked up on his distress, as he suddenly heard Fishlegs' gentle voice cut through his thoughts.

"Have you decided when you're going to talk to Astrid?"

Hiccup trained his green eyes on his two friends. "Yeah…I was kind of thinking about doing it when we're done eating…What do you guys think?"

"I don't think it really matters when you do it, so if you just want to get it over with, you should just do it as soon as possible" Rapunzel replied.

Hiccup nodded. "Yeah…you're probably right…" he said and he already felt the nausea churn inside him. "And…thanks guys" he finished softly, wanting his friends to know that he really appreciated their help in making up his mind.

"For what?" Fishlegs asked and raised an eyebrow.

"For listening while I rambled on about Astrid earlier…If it weren't for you, I'd probably still be completely confused about what to do." He explained softly and then took another sip from his cup of pumpkin juice.

"You can ramble to us any time Hiccup" Rapunzel said with a warm smile and Fishlegs eagerly nodded next to her.

A soft smile tugged at Hiccup's lips as he looked at his two friends.

"Well…that last thing you told me really helped me figure out how I'm feeling about all of this" he said to Rapunzel with appreciation in his green eyes.

The blonde girl nodded slowly, a sympathetic smile twitching her lips. "I'm glad I could help" she replied softly.

"I'm just…_really_ nervous about this…what if it's going to end up ruining our friendship?" he asked Fishlegs and Rapunzel, as his face fell and he revealed his worries to them.

"I don't think that'll happen, Hiccup" Fishlegs tried to reassure him. "I mean…obviously you can never know for sure with this kind of thing, but…don't be so quick to expect the worst."

"Yeah…I'm pretty good at that" he admitted and wrung his hands a little.

"You sure are" Rapunzel agreed and Fishlegs nodded.

Hiccup sighed. "Okay…I'm going to do it after dinner" he told his two friends. He couldn't stand any more of this horrible anxiousness flowing through every cell in him, invading his entire body with its uneasy presence. It was better to have that talk with Astrid than to remain a nervous wreck.

~~~~ Jack ~~~~

As he sat by the Gryffindor table at dinner, he really tried to stop thinking about his hopeless crush and just focus on being around his friends. Sometimes it worked for just a brief moment, but then all his insecure and nervous thoughts came rushing back to him. As had practically become a habit for the last few days, he pushed his food around on his plate, not having much of an appetite. He took a sip of his juice, while listening to Merida and Flynn talking about the latest letter from the red-head's parents, where they had described some of the pranks her three little brothers had been pulling on them. Usually, he would be very interested in that, but at the moment he didn't feel like talking at all.

Luckily there hadn't been time for him and Hiccup to be around each other after classes today, as Hiccup had detention. Jack felt really guilty that he had caused his friends detention because he had run off, but each of them assured him that it wasn't a problem and that he really shouldn't worry about it. The other teens were going to be in detention either tomorrow or the day after that, but apparently Hiccup had missed Building, Managing and Repairing Magical Objects and professor Cooke had taken a liking to Hiccup and his inventiveness, so he'd asked Hiccup to show up today for detention to assist him on mending some magical objects. As Hiccup explained this to him, the Viking didn't seem like he actually thought that that was going to be bad at all and that made Jack feel a little better about it.

He had spent time with his three friends after classes and it had actually improved his mood a tiny bit. He wasn't very social or very good company these days, but his friends were all understanding and patient with him, and they didn't force him to talk. Mostly he just listened attentively to their conversations, smiling a little once in a while, and throwing in a comment or two when he felt like it. He really missed truly participating in the conversations and making his friends laugh, but he just…didn't have it in him at the moment.

As he lifted his head and took his eyes off his plate, he met Mavis' concerned gaze. She shot a look at the uneaten food in front of him and was obviously worried that he wasn't eating, so he took a few bites to lessen her concern a little. He didn't want her to worry too much, even though she probably would anyway. Then he put down his knife and fork and took a sip of his pumpkin juice.

Dinner progressed uneventfully and Jack just sat in the company of his friends, remaining fairly passive. He_ really_ hated that he felt like that all the time at the moment…not wanting to really do _anything_…just sitting and listening to his friends' talking without wanting to participate. He just felt…deflated. This whole thing with Hiccup and Astrid was constantly gnawing at his mind.

He suddenly spotted Hiccup getting up from his seat by the Ravenclaw table and coming towards them, which was _very_ unusual. He wasn't sure what to expect from this, so he watched the Viking intently and felt the anxiousness bubble inside him, as the brunet made his way to the Gryffindor table. As Hiccup approached he gave Jack and the others a small wave and a quick smile, but then he walked past them and moved further along. Jack realized what he was doing and felt a wave of deep sadness crash inside his gut. Hiccup was going straight to Astrid.

That thought was confirmed when the Ravenclaw stopped by Astrid and poked her on the shoulder. The blonde stopped the conversation she was having with her friends, turned her head and smiled fondly at him. Hiccup told her something that Jack couldn't hear and then Astrid nodded and also got to her feet. The two Vikings walked side by side in silence towards the exit and left the Great Hall together.

Fuck.

This was…agony.

Hiccup and Astrid _never _spent time together in the evening, so there could only be one reason for this break in routine…Hiccup was going to tell Astrid that he wanted them to be together now. He just knew it…and then…he was going to have to see them together all the time…being a couple…Astrid touching Hiccup and kissing him…and he was expected to be_ happy_ about that, because Hiccup was his friend. He wasn't sure _at all_ that he could do that…that he wouldn't just crumble.

He instantly felt tears blur his vision, their warm, moist presence taunting him and reminding him how weak he was right now. He tried his best to will them away, but he just couldn't. His eyes continued to water and he looked down to not let anyone see it. Maybe he should leave before anyone noticed this…he _really_ didn't want anyone to see him cry.

"Jack?" Mavis whispered gently from across the table, but of course she couldn't avoid drawing the attention of Merida and Flynn as well, who had instantly stopped their conversation. Now it was too late…his friends had noticed that something was wrong. He felt all of their eyes burning into his skin and it was all just _too much_ right now. He couldn't handle this.

He got to his feet immediately without looking at anyone and walked as fast as he could towards the exit of the Great Hall, just wanting to get away from everything and everyone.

He could hear his friends leave their seats too, so he picked up the pace, eager to just isolate himself right now. He quickly walked through the doors and turned down one of the corridors, his heart beating rapidly in his chest.

"Jack!" he heard Flynn yell in obvious concern from behind him.

He didn't stop though. He just kept going, watching the floor practically fly by, as he swiftly moved his feet and kept his blue eyes trained downwards, so no one he might pass would notice how upset he was.

Then he heard footsteps running towards him and he let out a sigh. He couldn't escape his friends right now…they weren't giving up. He stopped walking and waited for them to catch up to him, which only took a few seconds.

Jack felt frozen, as his three friends stood in front of him. He didn't meet their eyes but he could feel their looks on him, stabbing holes in his defenses. Oh how he wished he was alone right now. He didn't want to break down in front of his friends, no matter how much they would support him.

"Jack?" Flynn asked, worry and confusion lacing his voice. When he lifted his head and met Flynn's gaze his brunet friend's eyes widened in concern, as he took in the unshed tears in Jack's eyes.

"What's going on, Jack?" Merida gently asked, while Mavis remained quiet, obviously knowing very well what was happening.

Jack sighed and now he couldn't stop a few tears from slowly trailing down his cheeks. He angrily wiped them away with one of his sleeves.

He realized that the time of keeping his secret between him and Mavis was over, and even though he had wanted Merida and Flynn to know from the beginning, the prospect of actually telling them was daunting and made him feel sick to his stomach.

Merida was opening her mouth to speak again but Mavis silenced her with a quick look that signaled that she shouldn't ask right now. The red-head closed her mouth instantly.

"Jack, come on" Mavis said softly and linked her arm with his, dragging him gently along the corridor. He went with her without any resistance.

He still felt Flynn's and Merida's eyes on him and it was uncomfortable. He wanted to shrink himself and disappear. Then he mentally slapped himself. He needed to pull himself together. They were his friends and they needed to know what was going on with him. They_ deserved_ to know, no matter how nervous he was about it. He knew that they would never turn their backs on him, but that didn't do much to quell his fretting.

Mavis led him towards the Gryffindor tower, Merida and Flynn trailing behind them. The four teens walked in silence, and Jack found himself thinking that his friends' minds were probably racing as much as his own was. Mavis kept her arm linked with his and as they kept walking towards the tower, she rubbed him on the back once in a while as a comforting gesture, which he appreciated. As they entered through the familiar portrait into the common room, the noise of some chatting Gryffindors inside reached their ears. Jack did his best to smile and greet the others quickly, and his friends all did the same. They all continued up the stairs to the boys' dormitories, causing several students to shoot them questioning looks, but no one commented on it and he was thankful for that.

As they reached the room Jack and Flynn shared with Liam and Harry, Flynn closed the door behind them, and Jack slumped down on his bed once again, as he had done a few days ago after Mavis had brought him back here from the lake. His black-haired friend placed herself on the other end of the bed.

He clenched his fists and mentally prepared himself for what was about to come. It had been difficult telling Mavis about his feelings that day, and he had struggled with the decision of whether to tell her or not. He didn't want to carry the burden of his new troubles alone, but he also hadn't been sure that he was ready for someone else to know. He had been fragile and confused as a consequence of his sudden realization in that castle corridor, and he was torn between reaching out for the help of his trusted friend or push the anxiety and pain down and simply try to find some way to deal with his feelings alone. Mavis' soft, kind words, her comforting touch and that look of deep genuine concern in her eyes had made up his mind. He would let her in. He would trust her with the deepest secret he had ever had. Mavis had not let him down. Her gentle and discreet support had been his strength in the last couple of days, as he had to meet the concern and questioning looks from his friends, and especially a certain brunet Ravenclaw with deep green eyes.

Now that Jack looked back, he wasn't sure how well he would have handled it, had he been alone. He hadn't been alone though. Mavis had been beside him, letting him know through kind words, gentle touches and concerned, caring eyes that he had a friend who understood what he was going through. She knew his pain. She knew how difficult it was for him to be around Hiccup right now, and how he loathed that his friendship with the dragon rider was no longer easy and uncomplicated. He did his best to act as normal as possible, but it took a lot of effort and there were some things he just couldn't hide.

Now Flynn and Merida were going to know too. He trusted them with anything, but the prospect of telling them about his feelings left his hands clammy and his heart pounding rapidly in his chest.

"Jack?" Mavis' soft voice pulled him out of his thoughts. He lifted his head and met her eyes, and when he found that usual support in them, he felt slightly more at ease.

Flynn and Merida were both sitting on Flynn's bed that was placed next to Jack's own, watching him with concerned eyes. None of them had spoken, and somehow Jack appreciated that. He sensed that they didn't want to rush him…that they wanted him to tell them when he was ready.

"So..uhmm…" he began, uncertain of what to say. He had had plenty of time to think about his newly discovered feelings for Hiccup, but somehow that made him struggle now, unsure of how to explain it. "I know I've been acting weird the last couple of days…" Jack continued, now meeting Merida's and Flynn's eyes. They remained silent, but both gave him sympathetic smiles and Flynn nodded slowly to encourage him to keep talking.

"Something happened that made me realize…that I have feelings for someone" he spoke softly now, but he could feel his stomach doing flips, causing nausea to rise within him. "And it made me panic…I didn't know how to handle it…I still don't" he finished, breaking eye contact with his two friends sitting on the bed next to his. He clenched his clammy fists and they felt warm and moist in an unpleasant, sticky way.

"We had no idea…" Flynn started, sounding regretful. Jack knew that he was feeling terrible about not being able to be there for him. That's how Jack would feel, if the situation was reversed, and he knew just how caring a friend Flynn was. He felt a slight tug of guilt pull at him inside. Neither Flynn nor Merida should feel guilty about this. Jack hadn't really given them a choice, as he had decided to keep his secret between himself and Mavis for the time being.

"I'm so sorry Jack" Merida said, concern and sadness lacing her tone, which told Jack that she was experiencing similar pangs of guilt and regret to Flynn's.

When Jack remained silent and contemplated how they would react, when they found out exactly who he had feelings for, Flynn cleared his throat, causing Jack to meet his warm, chocolate-brown eyes once again.

"Jack…" he began, his voice uncertain, as if he wasn't sure how to proceed. "I wish we could have been there for you" he finished, confirming Jack's previous thoughts.

"I didn't let you" he replied to ease the guilt of his two friends, trying to keep his voice steady. "I wasn't ready to share it again…Please don't think it's because I don't trust you…I would trust you with anything…I just couldn't handle reliving it again…I had just discovered these feelings and I was confused" Jack explained softly, hoping his friends would understand that he _did_ trust them. That he had _wanted_ to tell them, but couldn't bring himself to do it. That he had needed time to figure out these strange, terrifying changes.

"We understand…you don't have to feel bad about anything. We know you trust us" Flynn reassured him with a warm, soothing voice and Merida nodded eagerly next to him. Jack felt grateful that he had such great, understanding friends. They would never hold anything against him. He suddenly felt a tug of affection in his heart, as he thought about how many times they had been there for each other, watching out for each other, sharing their secrets and fears, their hopes and dreams, laughing and talking about anything and everything. Jack knew that his friends would be there for him, so now he needed to trust them with this secret.

"Thanks…you are…amazing" he said gently and sincerely, giving all three of his friends a fond smile although it wasn't as bright as it would have been under normal circumstances, considering the situation they were in at the present moment. They all rewarded him with affectionate smiles of their own.

"Can you…" Merida started hesitantly as she twirled one of her curls around a finger, as she had a habit of doing when she was either nervous or bored. "Can you tell us who it is? I understand if you're not ready, it's just…it would be a lot easier to understand all of this, if we knew everything" his red-haired friend explained softly, obviously not wanting to guilt him or force him into telling them anything. Her blue eyes were unsure, as they observed him while awaiting his answer.

"No, it's okay, Mer…you guys should know" he said and resigned himself to the fact that he was about to tell more people about the troubles that plagued him on a daily basis now. Merida and Flynn both remained silent, but encouraged him to carry on with their attentive eyes.

"I…I've sort of realized that…I have feelings for Hiccup" he said clumsily and uncertainly, breaking eye contact with his two friends. He focused on a single spot on his blanket and stared intently at it, while awaiting their reactions. He didn't want to look at their faces right now. Somehow, avoiding the changes in their expressions that were sure to follow his revelation made the situation a little easier on him.

The silence made the air heavy with tension. Jack felt his nervousness increase every second the lack of sound continued, and the nausea in his stomach was roiling incessantly like the violent, crashing waves of a storm-plagued sea.

"Hiccup? You have feelings for Hiccup?" Merida broke the silence, and even though her question was full of confusion and disbelief, he felt relief wash over him, making the nausea subside and loll into quiet ripples instead of an angry ocean. He kept his blue eyes trained on that specific spot on the blanket. Right now he still couldn't bring himself to look at their faces.

"Yeah…" he admitted quietly. He unclenched his fists and let his hands grab on to the soft blanket he was sitting on. He concentrated on the velvety feel of the fabric against his fingertips.

"That was…not what I was expecting you to say" Flynn said, voicing his thoughts. His tone wasn't judgmental, but genuinely confused. Not that Jack could blame him. It was even confusing to himself. Not only did he have feelings for their friend, but this friend was a guy, and Jack had never been interested in another male before. But Hiccup was different.

"I know…" Jack replied faintly in response to Flynn's confusion.

He forced himself to meet his friends' concerned eyes now, and he was relieved to find nothing but love and support in them. Not that he had expected something else, but he wasn't himself lately, and he felt unsure and confused about so many things.

"Jack…what happened in the corridor a few days ago? Why did you react that way?" Merida asked him carefully, and even though Jack had expected the question, he had kept a small, naïve hope that it wouldn't be brought up. He despised the fact that he was jealous of Astrid. He loathed that he had been thrown into a panic attack by watching her kiss Hiccup. It made him feel helpless, almost like a child. He owed his friends an explanation though, having practically scared them to death by panicking, then running off, and then avoided giving them a reason why. He sighed deeply, and it somehow had a slightly calming effect on him, relaxing his body just a little.

"It's…I sort of saw Astrid kiss him" he said in defeat, his head drooping.

"Astrid and Hiccup are together?" Flynn asked in disbelief, his brown eyes widening a little.

"We don't know anything yet. Apparently Astrid wants to be with him, but Hiccup isn't sure" Mavis explained calmly.

"Okay…so…" Flynn said hesitantly, sounding as if he was trying to piece together a puzzle. "You saw Astrid kiss him, and you thought they were together, so you panicked?" he asked, trying to confirm if he had understood the situation correctly.

Jack shook his head slowly.

"No…When I saw her kiss him…that's when I realized how I felt about him…that I had suppressed it for a long time…it all came rushing to the surface, and I was terrified" he explained quietly, wringing his hands a little.

Flynn and Merida both nodded slowly in understanding.

"I'm so sorry Jack" Flynn said with empathy in his brown eyes. "But…just know that we're all here for you. No matter what happens with Hiccup…we'll be here."

"Yeah" Merida agreed with a warm, soft look in her blue eyes. "You're never alone".

He couldn't stop the small smile that tugged at his lips. His friends were incredible.

"What happened before…in the Great Hall?" Merida then asked with deep concern in her voice, as she could obviously figure out that it hadn't been anything good.

Jack sighed deeply. "Hiccup and Astrid left together…I'm pretty sure that he's going to tell her that he wants them to be a couple now" he told his friends and he couldn't keep the sadness and the hopelessness out of his voice. He broke eye contact with them and looked at the floor, feeling very vulnerable right now.

"We don't know that, Jack" Mavis said, obviously trying to comfort him a little.

Jack just shrugged at that. He was certain. After all…why would Hiccup say no? He obviously cared a lot about Astrid…he had had a crush on her for years when they were younger…not to mention that Astrid had a lot to offer…she was smart, beautiful, strong, confident and she and Hiccup even shared a whole culture and way of life.

"Are you planning on telling him about this?" Merida asked gently, as she tilted her head slightly to one side.

"No!" Jack exclaimed and his eyes widened for a few seconds. "I don't want to lose him".

"You wouldn't lose him, Jack" Mavis said reassuringly, as she had told him several times in the last few days, but just as he hadn't been convinced the other times, he wasn't convinced now either.

"Yes, I would." Jack insisted quietly. It would ruin everything if he told Hiccup about this, and he couldn't stand the thought of the Ravenclaw pushing him out of his life. That would hurt beyond what words could express.

"Hiccup is an understanding guy…and he cares about you. A lot. He wouldn't just turn away from you like that" Merida argued, gesturing with her hands and agreeing with Mavis. Flynn nodded next to her to show that he also believed that.

"No, he wouldn't…but it would make everything weird between us. He would reject me and we wouldn't be able to be around each other anymore, because it would be awkward and uncomfortable" Jack explained, feeling a tug of dread in his chest at that thought. He could _not_ let that happen.

"Are you sure he would reject you?" Flynn asked, his forehead creasing in contemplation, causing Jack to widen his eyes.

"What are you talking about? Of course he would! Hiccup's not gay" Jack replied quickly to Flynn's absurd question with raised eyebrows.

"Neither were you before all of this" Flynn reasoned and shrugged, but then quickly added. "That is…if you are actually gay now?"

"I don't even know _what _I am anymore, Flynn" he told his friend and sighed. "Everything's been turned upside down…"

"Well, there's plenty of time to figure it out" Mavis said reassuringly, Merida and Flynn humming in agreement to show their support.

"Yeah…and we don't care if you're gay or straight or whatever you might be. We'll still love you all the same" Merida said with a fond smile and Jack was touched by her words. He hadn't thought that his friends would ever leave him, if he turned out to be gay, but it was still comforting to hear the words actually being spoken.

"But Jack seriously…are you sure that Hiccup couldn't possibly feel the same way?" Flynn asked, his warm brown eyes meeting Jack's defeated blue ones.

"Yeah, I'm sure…He's told me about his crush on Astrid when they were younger and that he kissed some girl from another tribe and that he and Rapunzel shared a kiss once…_everything_ he's told me about that sort of thing has been about girls" he explained and felt that familiar tug of sadness.

"Hiccup and Rapunzel kissed!?" Merida exclaimed in disbelief, and Flynn's eyes were wide with shock. Jack smiled faintly in amusement at their gawking eyes and slack jaws and it felt good to actually be a little amused by something right now. He glanced at Mavis, and even she was baffled by this. He hadn't actually meant to tell them…it had just sort of slipped out.

"Yeah, well…he told me that they were drunk at one of the few Ravenclaw parties they had actually gone to, and they'd talked about first kisses. Rapunzel told him that she'd never been kissed and she was dreading how awkward and awful it would be, because she would be so nervous. Somehow, they ended up agreeing that Hiccup should kiss her, so her first kiss would be with someone she trusted and was comfortable with" he explained.

Jack cared for Rapunzel. She had actually come to mean a lot to him but...he couldn't help that little, annoying pang of jealousy that made his heart ache, as he told his friends this story. Hiccup had kissed her. She had experienced something _so _intimate with the dragon rider. He had shared a piece of himself with her that he would never share with Jack…and_ that_ hurt.

"That's…actually really sweet" Mavis said, her eyes softening.

"Yeah, it is…" Flynn agreed. "But that still doesn't mean that he couldn't feel the same way about you" he stated.

"Come on Flynn, don't do that…" Jack said quietly, almost pleading with his friend not to wake that tiny flame of hope that was dying inside of him.

"It's just that-" Flynn began to argue.

"No, Flynn" Jack immediately interrupted him and Flynn stopped talking. "I don't want any of you to get my hopes up, just so I can have them crushed, okay?" he objected. He wasn't going to be naïve about this. This was real life, not some fairy tale where everything worked out in the end, and there was a major risk that he could have his heart broken completely. It was better not to expect too much to begin with, than to get his hopes up and have them squashed mercilessly.

"Okay…I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said it" Flynn replied, his eyes asking Jack to forgive him.

"It's okay…" he said dismissively and pulled his knees up and rested his arms on them.

"What can we do to help?" Merida asked sincerely and Jack appreciated the red-heads eagerness to soothe his troubles.

"I just…Mavis has sort of been helping me deal with being around Hiccup…I feel awkward and nervous around him now, but I really need to just push that away…I don't want to lose him as my friend, so the only thing I can really do is try my best to carry on as usual." He explained with a quiet resignation evident in his voice.

Merida and Flynn both nodded in understanding but frowned at his words.

"So you need us to have your back and help you with Hiccup if anything tense or awkward happens?" Flynn asked, clearly wanting to know if he had understood the situation correctly.

"Yeah, I guess you could put it that way" Jack confirmed and then let out a deep sigh. "I'm completely screwed."

"Come on, Jack…" Flynn said encouragingly. "We'll all help you any way we can" he reassured him and then a fond smile tugged at the brunet's lips.

"Yeah, you're _not _alone in this, Snowflake" Merida agreed, leaning forward a little.

Jack couldn't hold back the small, genuine smile that quirked his lips. With the help of his supportive, loving friends, he might actually be able to somehow survive these strong, terrifying new feelings that were changing his entire world.

~~~~ Hiccup ~~~~

The corridors were illuminated in the soft, warm glow of the lamps hanging along the old stone walls, while the dark blue night sky could be seen through the large windows they walked by. He and Astrid were making their way down one of the passageways in silence, wanting to find a place where they could talk in private. They obviously couldn't go to the common rooms and since the majority of students were still at dinner, the hallways were mostly deserted. Hiccup quickly glanced out of one of the arch windows they walked past. The full moon shone its pale light through the glass and he found it oddly calming, a massive contrast to the emotions raging inside him.

He had been feeling nervous about this for days, and he fidgeted a little with his hands the whole time as he walked next to his blonde friend, anxiety fraying every nerve in his body. He didn't do very well handling emotional talks like this.

They had walked for about five minutes, turning down random corridors a few times, when they arrived at a rarely used passageway, where there was no one around and little risk of being interrupted.

Astrid stopped and turned to face him, watching him with those familiar sky blue eyes.

He tugged a little on one of his braids. He was extremely uncomfortable with this. It was unfamiliar to him. He had never had to do anything like this before and he_ really_ hoped that his decision wouldn't end up breaking their friendship somehow. That would hit him hard…

"Hiccup?" he heard Astrid's voice say, and he blinked and pulled himself out of his thoughts. He needed to focus right now.

"Yeah, I know…Sorry. I was just thinking…" he trailed off and then met her blue eyes.

"No kidding" Astrid shot back with a fond smile.

A small smile tugged at his lips and he enjoyed the brief humor between them…especially considering how unpredictable this situation was going to be.

"But…you wanted to talk?" Astrid then asked, her eyes turning serious. He could feel the nervous anticipation from her and it only served to increase his own anxiousness.

He cleared his throat and a few moments of silence descended on them.

"Uhm, yeah…" he began hesitantly and wrung his hands a little. "But...I'm not…" he trailed off once again.

Astrid apparently understood what he was trying to convey. "Just…just be honest with me, Hiccup. Just tell me how you really feel" she told him quietly and now those blue eyes were brimming with uncertainty.

He sighed deeply and remained quiet for a few moments, gathering his thoughts. Astrid didn't push him and he was grateful for that.

"I thought about everything you said…" he told her hesitantly, as he felt the anxiety swirl inside him, making him feel nauseous. He shifted his weight from one leg to the other.

She nodded slowly in response, clearly encouraging him to go on. She broke eye contact for a brief moment, but then met his eyes again and the action seemed like she was mentally preparing herself for whatever was about to happen.

"And…I can't be with you, Astrid. I just…" he sighed. "I've been really confused these last few days, but I know now…that I see you as my friend…and…it would be wrong for me to be with you, when I feel that way" he told her as gently as he possibly could, but he knew that he couldn't protect her from the hurt that she would inevitably feel, no matter how much he wanted to.

Astrid's entire demeanor instantly changed. She bit her bottom lip, her brow furrowed in distress and she broke eye contact and stared at the floor. Hiccup felt a sharp pang of guilt. This was his fault.

"Astrid…I'm sorry…I never wanted to hurt you" he said, feeling the sadness grow within him, spreading its horrible tendrils throughout his mind and body.

"I know…" she said so quietly that he almost didn't hear her, still not meeting his eyes. Her voice was weak and it was such a huge contrast to how she usually sounded that it was almost like the voice of another person.

They just stood there in front of each other for a little while in silence. Hiccup didn't know _at all_ what he could do to comfort Astrid right now…and if she even_ wanted_ any comfort from him. Gods, this was one of the most terrible things he had _ever _had to do.

"Astrid…" he said uncertainly and watched her intently. He once again tugged a little on one of his braids.

The blonde Viking girl lifted her head and met his gaze and he could see a few unshed tears in her blue eyes. He felt his chest tighten in sadness and guilt, as he looked at her. How he hated that he was the cause of this…he_ never _wanted this to happen.

Like the true Viking she was, Astrid blinked away the unshed tears and quickly regained her composure. However, Hiccup knew her well enough to see all the little signs that spoke of the hurt she was feeling...her blue eyes might not have tears in them anymore, but they were dull and melancholy, her posture wasn't strong and confident like it usually was, and she was holding tightly onto her long, blonde braid with one hand.

"Just tell me what I can do…I really don't want to lose you" he told her honestly, almost pleading with her, and prayed to every single norse god that he could keep Astrid as his friend.

"Hiccup…" Astrid started hesitantly and her voice was filled with a quiet, resigned sadness that he didn't like _at all_. "I'm…going to need some time."

He nodded slowly. "Of course…" he replied quietly. Astrid could have asked him almost anything right now and he would do it. All he wanted was to soothe her pain…to chase away the hurt that _he_ had put there…to see her confidence and strength return to her instead of this sadness and resignation.

"…where we don't really see each other" she then finished, before wiping her eyes quickly with one of her sleeves, as a few unshed tears had returned despite her efforts to keep them away.

Hiccup sighed sadly and the knot of worry growing inside him made him feel sick, like he was going to throw up. This was all messed up. He might actually lose Astrid as a friend now…and she was so important to him. She was always there for him without question, fiercely loyal and protective of him, encouraging and supportive when he doubted himself and ready to give him a punch or a smack with a fist when he was being an idiot about something. Being separated from her for an unknown period of time was going to hurt…

But…he had to push his own needs aside and do what was best for her, and if this was what she needed then he would do it…no matter how much he hated it.

"If you think that will help, then…we'll do that…even if I don't like it at all" he told her softly, deciding to tell her exactly how he felt. He met her eyes and let her see that he was hurting too.

"I don't like it either but…that's how it has to be right now" Astrid replied and now her blue eyes conveyed the pain she obviously felt inside without even trying to hide it anymore and it made him want to slam his fist against the wall repeatedly in frustration until his knuckles bled, because it was his fault.

"Okay…" he said in defeat. "I'm so sorry, Astrid…" he repeated his earlier words. He knew it didn't change anything, but he just really wanted her to understand how awful he felt about all of this.

"Don't be…you were just being honest. You can't change how you feel, Hiccup" she told him and a little of that fiery spirit that he knew so well from her had returned, as she forced herself to be strong. At least that was something…

"I know…I just…really _hate_ that I'm the reason for this…and that I'm not going to spend any time with you for a while. I'll really miss you…" he said miserably and then looked at the floor, feeling a few tears stinging in the corners of his eyes from the worry he felt that he might lose Astrid for good.

He really meant those words…he didn't see Astrid as often as his other friends, but her friendship really meant a lot to him and he greatly appreciated the time they spent together. Now however…that wasn't going to happen for a long time. Maybe even permanently, if Astrid suddenly decided that they couldn't be friends anymore.

Much to his surprise, Astrid then suddenly closed the gap between them and wrapped her arms around him, squeezing him. He hugged her back tightly and she rested her head on his shoulder.

"I'll miss you too" she whispered and the level of emotion in her voice was like a dagger straight in his heart. Gods, he desperately hoped that this wasn't some kind of permanent goodbye to their friendship.

They just stood like that for a while in the dimly lit corridor, arms wrapped around each other in a warm, safe hug that spoke volumes of their affection for each other. They both needed comfort right now and since they knew that they weren't going to be together for a while, they were equally reluctant to let go. Hiccup began stroking her blonde hair slowly, as he let her familiar warmth envelop him and he found himself thinking that this was the last time for...Odin knows how long…that he was going to be around Astrid. The thought made his stomach clench and a few more tears filled his eyes, but he quickly blinked them away and swallowed thickly.

Then Astrid pulled away from him and he reluctantly let go of her, letting his arms drop to his sides.

Silence descended upon them for a brief moment before Astrid nodded to herself, as if she had made some kind of decision.

"I'll see you, Hiccup…" she then said sadly and turned around, before walking away from him down the hallway.

"Yeah…see you, Astrid" he replied quietly and just looked at her back as she walked further and further away, her blonde braid swaying gently from side to side. He _really_ wanted her to come back, because once she was out of sight, this whole 'not spending time together' thing would become real and he had no idea when it would end. That would be completely in Astrid's hands.

He sighed deeply to himself and felt the misery spread through his entire being. What if this could never be fixed?

When he could no longer see Astrid, he slowly began walking along the passageway. He wasn't sure where he was going, as the thoughts just whirled incessantly inside his head, torturing him with all kinds of "what if" scenarios. With each step he took, he felt the hopelessness build up inside him and as he had thought about doing earlier, he suddenly turned towards one of the stone walls and just slammed his fist hard into it over and over again. The sharp stabs of pain surged through his knuckles but he pushed it down, because it was relieving to get at least _some_ of his frustration out. It was only when he felt the familiar warm trickle of blood that he stopped and then continued his walk towards Odin knows where.

~~~~ Jack ~~~~

As Jack sat in the common room surrounded by his friends, the noises of their conversation, the other Gryffindors occupying themselves with chatter and the crackling of the flames in the large fireplace filled the air, enveloping him in a blanket of sound. He had placed himself on one of the red couches, sitting next to Mavis, while Merida, Flynn and Jim were sitting in some of the soft armchairs. He mostly remained quiet but listened attentively to the conversations taking place between his three best friends and Jim, trying to use that as a way of occupying his thoughts, so they wouldn't keep drifting towards a certain Ravenclaw. Naturally, he failed miserably at this but at least he tried. He couldn't really bring himself to participate much in the conversation, as had almost become a depressing habit of his for the last few days. He knew it was very out of character for him and he was aware that Jim had noticed that he seemed off, but he didn't ask, which Jack was grateful for. His three best friends regularly shot concerned looks at him, telling him with their eyes that they were there for him if he needed anything and that they hated seeing him like this. He appreciated their love and support, although it didn't do much to calm down the horrible emotions inside him.

"I'm just saying that it's obviously the Stratus, Merida" Jim said insistently, as he looked at Merida with raised eyebrows in a good humored challenging manner.

"It so isn't! Anyone with half a brain can see that it's the Cirrus, _Jim_!" Merida shot back and rolled her eyes, wanting to win the argument between them.

Usually Jack would be an eager participant in a discussion on Quidditch broom models, but the feeling of depression that had sunk its claws into him ever since Hiccup left with Astrid was impossible to shake off.

"Come on Flynn, back me up on this!" Merida said and looked to Flynn. Jim also trained his eyes on their mutual friend expectantly.

"I actually think you're both wrong, Red…it's obviously the Cumulus" Flynn replied and leaned back in his red armchair with a small smirk on his lips.

"What!?" Jim and Merida exclaimed in unison, their eyes wide in disbelief.

Mavis chuckled next to him and normally he would laugh too, but right now he just couldn't bring himself to see the light in anything.

He felt a gentle touch on his arm and turned his head. He met Mavis' affectionate, concerned eyes and he gave her a small, strained smile. She moved her arm and rubbed him on the back a few times as a silent show of support, which he greatly appreciated.

Despite his horrible mood, he really tried his best to focus on the good things…that he was among his beloved friends…that listening to their laughter _did _ease his mind just a little…that he was in a safe place he'd always loved, filled with good memories…

But Hiccup was with Astrid…doing god knows what, a voice in the back of his mind told him and the nausea that had pretty much been his constant companion for the last few days increased its grip in his gut.

He sighed to himself as an expression of his hopelessness. Who was he even kidding? There was no way he could stop thinking about that. It was pretty much consuming him, eating him alive from the inside out. Pictures of Hiccup and Astrid kept appearing in his mind and he couldn't banish them no matter how hard he tried. In his thoughts he kept seeing Hiccup kiss her…embrace her…run his fingers through her hair. It was driving him crazy.

He had tuned out his friends' conversation and right now nothing but those horrible thoughts existed. His chest constricted in misery and his breathing became strained, causing him to only be able to take in short, stinging breaths.

Okay…he needed to get out of here. He felt like he was suffocating, being around people right now, pretending that he was okay when he definitely wasn't.

He lifted himself off the couch and got to his feet without saying anything and began walking towards the portrait exit as fast as he could. When he was a few steps away from the familiar portrait of the fat lady, a voice caused him to stop.

"Jack" he heard Flynn's voice say from behind him, as his brunet friend had apparently gotten up from his seat too and followed him.

He turned around and met Flynn's eyes but remained silent.

"Where are you going?" Flynn asked him with obvious worry in his brown eyes.

"I just…need to get away for a little while" he told his friend honestly, his blue eyes conveying the sadness he felt within.

Flynn nodded slowly in understanding and gave him a small, sad smile. "Do you want some company?" he gently asked.

"No, not right now…but…thanks" he replied sincerely and then hugged himself in a protective manner, because he was feeling very exposed and fragile right now.

Flynn nodded in response. "Just…if you need _anything_…come back and find me, okay?"

"Yeah…I promise" Jack said and he appreciated Flynn's offer. It was nice to know that he was there for him.

Then he turned around and exited the Gryffindor common room, wanting to get some time alone to just be openly miserable by himself. It was exhausting keeping up that whole façade. Of course he didn't have to do that with his three best friends, but around others he had to keep all his confusing, depressing emotions in and pretend that things were at least somewhat normal.

As he wandered down the old, dimly lit corridors, he was relieved that there were almost no other students present. He only spotted a single student once in a while, probably on their way to their common room, but other than that the hallways were empty. He didn't really know where to go, so he just let his feet take him wherever they wanted to, while his mind once again wandered to Hiccup and where he was right now and what he was doing with Astrid.

Suddenly he found himself by the entrance to the Astronomy tower and he couldn't really say that he was surprised that he had subconsciously gone there. He'd spent time up there once in a while, when he was in a bad mood, as the place was always deserted in the evening and it was just so quiet and peaceful up there…not to mention the incredible view.

As he began to slowly walk up the stairs, he thought about the first time he had ever gone there to be by himself. It had been in his third year, when he had had a week where he was plagued by nightmares of his parents' death on a daily basis. Somehow it had just helped sitting up there, observing the night sky quietly for a while.

When he reached the top of the tower he slumped down on the floor with his back against one of the walls next to one of the big openings that revealed the amazing view of the surrounding grounds and mountains, as well as the dark blue night sky, illuminated by thousands of stars and the beautiful full moon that left its pale glow on everything under it.

As he let his eyes take in the peaceful light of the moon, his mind brought forth a memory without his permission. It had become a fond memory to him, but right now it only brought him pain. It had been a night just like this, when he'd gone to find Hiccup by the lake and his Viking friend had let him in on the real root of his massive self-esteem issues and Jack had told him about how his parents died. Then Hiccup had hugged him tightly to comfort him and somehow it had just felt…safe.

He felt his eyes water again and he sighed in frustration. Since he was alone, he didn't even bother to wipe the tears away, but just let them trail gently down his cheeks. Somehow it made him feel a little better to just be able to let it all out, after having to hold it in all day.

He didn't know how long he just sat there…watching the stars and feeling miserable inside. It was almost liberating to sense the warm tears stream down his pale skin, and a tiny bit of relief washed over him, as he now had the opportunity to just express his hurt feelings openly.

His heart was aching and he felt like he had a hole in his stomach. The nausea wouldn't leave his gut and he was getting so_ damn _tired of feeling sick to his stomach all the time.

He sighed deeply to himself and closed his eyes for a few seconds before opening them again.

"Jack?" he suddenly heard a familiar voice say and his eyes immediately widened in panic.

No…no no no…anyone but _him_.

Jack lifted his head to see Hiccup standing by the stairs. As he met his eyes, the Ravenclaw instantly began walking towards him in a fast pace, quickly covering the distance between them. What was he even doing here? Wasn't he supposed to be with Astrid?

Jack looked at the floor once again, as the brunet stood in front of him, obviously observing him. God, how he wished Hiccup hadn't found him. He was feeling completely vulnerable and weak right now and it just didn't help that the source of all his misery was now watching him with those incredibly observant eyes.

He heard Hiccup sigh deeply. Then the Viking slumped down next to him, also leaning against the wall.

They sat like that for a few moments in silence. Jack continued training his eyes on the floor, tears still wet on his cheeks, and he really didn't know what to do right now. He didn't want to meet Hiccup's eyes but it was also somewhat awkward to just sit like this in silence and without eye contact.

"I met Flynn in one of the corridors…he told me where you'd probably be, but that you might not want company right now. I just…wanted to check on you, but…if you want to be alone, I can leave" Hiccup said gently and broke the silence between them. Jack could feel his eyes on him, but he continued to look at the floor, still feeling a little too self-conscious to meet those familiar green eyes.

"It's okay" he replied softly, almost a whisper. Did he wish that Hiccup hadn't found him? Yes. Would he be able to say no to him and turn him away? No.

He could see Hiccup nod slowly in his peripheral vision, but he still didn't meet his eyes.

"Look…I know something's still very wrong with you, Jack…Even though you're trying your best to hide it" the Ravenclaw told him quietly, his voice brimming with obvious concern.

Of course Hiccup knew, Jack thought to himself in slight hopelessness. He really was too observant sometimes…

"But I told you I wouldn't ask about it and I won't. I get that you need your space, and I know all about wanting to keep something to yourself, so you don't have to worry…I'll never try to force it out of you or anything" Hiccup explained calmly to him. He still didn't look at his brunet friend, but he could hear the worry and the frustration of not being able to help in Hiccup's voice.

Jack breathed a small sigh of relief. He hadn't expected Hiccup to push him on this matter, but it was still comforting to hear him say it.

"I just…really wish that I could help you somehow" Hiccup sighed and Jack was touched by how much emotion was evident in the brunet's voice.

"Yeah…me too, Hic…me too" he replied softly.

"Just…tell me if you want to talk about it…or if I can do anything at all. I'm here for you if you need anything" Hiccup told him and Jack truly appreciated that he was so worried about him. He really was an amazing friend.

What he really needed though…was for Hiccup to return his feelings…but since that would never happen, he would have to be content to have his friendship.

"I will…thanks Hic" he replied and then he lifted his head, met Hiccup's eyes briefly and gave the Viking a tiny smile.

There were a few moments of silence between them and Jack trained his eyes on the night sky and watched the stars again for a little while.

Hiccup didn't look at him anymore so Jack focused his blue eyes on him. The dragon rider was lost in his own thoughts, his green eyes glazed over by whatever was bothering him right now. Jack found himself feeling a strong tug of concern towards him as well as confusion and curiosity. What was going on with him right now? Shouldn't he be happy? What was wrong?

"Are _you_ okay, Hic?" he asked hesitantly. He _certainly_ didn't seem like it and Jack didn't like that look at all. Hiccup wasn't supposed to be sad…he was supposed to give him those crooked smiles and amused smirks. His green eyes were supposed to light up with mirth.

"Not really…" Hiccup said solemnly, still looking ahead and then he sighed.

"What's wrong?" Jack replied, instantly wanting to know what was hurting him. It was strange how Hiccup had that effect on him…that he just wanted to protect him against anything, even the slightest little thing that might upset him.

"Astrid sort of…told me a few days ago that she has feelings for me and wants to be with me" Hiccup began to explain softly.

"Oh?..." Jack said, furrowing his brow. Even though he already knew about this, he couldn't keep the surprise out of his voice. He had been sure that Astrid and Hiccup would be together by now, but Hiccup seemed so...melancholy. Why was that? "What are you going to do?" he added.

"I think…I've seriously ruined our friendship now" Hiccup told him, his voice filled with sadness and he turned his attention to the floor now.

"What? How?" Jack blurted out, unable to stop himself and the amount of unrestrained surprise evident in his tone. He was scrambling for an explanation now. He didn't understand at all how Hiccup could ruin things between him and Astrid. What was he talking about? Hadn't he left the Great Hall with Astrid to tell her that he wanted them to be together?

A few moments of silence passed and the suspense was killing him. He really wished that Hiccup would start talking soon, so he could get some answers, but he kept quiet, not wanting to rush his obviously melancholy friend. He began to wring his hands in nervous anticipation. It didn't take long for him to get his wish though, as that slightly nasal voice chased away the quietness between them.

"I was really confused at first, but then I realized that…I don't feel that way about her anymore…I love Astrid, but…only as a friend…so I turned her down and now, I don't know if we can even be friends anymore" Hiccup told him, sounding like it actually physically pained him to say these words.

Jack let out a breath he hadn't even realized he had been holding. He felt like his heart was going to burst with joy and relief at Hiccup's words, but obviously he couldn't show that happiness to his friend, who was feeling miserable right now. Hiccup had turned Astrid down? He _didn't _want to be with her? That wasn't what Jack had expected _at all_ and suddenly it seemed like the nausea and the worries within him faded away, like delicate snow melting in the warm rays of the sun. He felt the relief bubble eagerly inside him and he had to restrain the huge smile that threatened to light up his entire face. With the exception of telling him that he returned his feelings, Hiccup couldn't have told him anything that could have made him happier.

At the same time though…he also felt a slight pang of worry and sadness, because of Hiccup's obvious distress. He didn't want him to be unhappy like this…watching him being sad was almost painful.

"I'm sorry, Hic…I know how close you and Astrid are" he told the dragon rider and he really meant it. He _was_ sorry that Hiccup's friendship with Astrid might be destroyed now as Hiccup clearly cared a lot about her, and now that Jack knew he didn't have any romantic feelings towards her, he didn't feel annoyed or sad anymore by their close bond.

"Yeah…" Hiccup sighed. "I just…don't want to lose her."

Hiccup moved his hands suddenly to start fidgeting with them a little and the movement drew Jack's attention to them. His blue eyes widened for a few moments as he took in the dried blood on Hiccup's knuckles. What the…?

"What have you been doing?" he asked his friend in obvious concern and just stared at the blood.

"Nothing, Jack" Hiccup replied dismissively, as if it was no big deal.

"Don't "nothing, Jack" me, Hic…_what_ have you been doing?" he demanded to know in a stern tone that should signal to Hiccup that he wasn't kidding. The brunet had _blood_ on his hand, of course Jack wouldn't settle for "nothing" as a reply.

"I just…had to get my frustration out somehow" Hiccup sighed a little and then let the fingers on his other hand trail over the dried blood on his knuckles, while he continued to look at the wall in front of them.

"Did you get in a fight or something?" Jack asked in disbelief. That did _not_ sound like Hiccup.

"Only with a wall" the Ravenclaw replied quietly.

Ah, that made a lot more sense. Despite wanting to scold Hiccup for doing something stupid like that, he chose not to. He figured that wasn't what his friend needed right now.

"You won't lose Astrid" Jack said softly, trying to reassure Hiccup, but it wasn't just something he said. He really meant it.

"How can you be sure of that?" Hiccup asked quietly and lifted his head, meeting Jack's blue eyes with his green ones and Jack forced himself to maintain the eye contact, because he wanted to comfort Hiccup right now.

"I've seen you two together…your friendship is too strong to be broken over something like this" Jack said and gave his friend a small, soft smile.

"I really hope you're right…" Hiccup replied and the look of defeat on his face made Jack's heart ache.

Jack nodded slowly in response, but remained silent.

"I'm just really going to miss her…" Hiccup then said, a deep, intense sadness seeping into his voice and Jack was taken aback by the level of emotion.

"What do you mean?" he asked him, furrowing his brow in confusion.

"She told me that…she needs some time away from me, so…we're not going to spend any time together for a while…I don't know for how long" Hiccup explained and his green eyes were filled with a depressed resignation.

"Oh…I'm so sorry" he told his brunet friend, his voice conveying the empathy he felt within. This wasn't going to be easy on Hiccup…and Jack just _hated_ seeing him in pain. God, he just…wished that he could do _something_.

"Thanks Jack…" Hiccup said genuinely despite his current solemn mood.

"Any time, Hic…" he replied softly and gave the brunet a fond smile.

A few moments of silence passed between them and Jack just observed Hiccup for a little while, as the Ravenclaw seemed to stare at a wall in somber contemplation. It really was horrible to see him like this…all depressed without those familiar smiles on his lips or the amusement in his eyes.

Then out of the blue Hiccup turned his head and looked at him, before reaching out and beginning to wipe away Jack's remaining tears with his thumb, smiling softly at him. Jack stiffened at first, surprised by the sudden contact, but it was obviously Hiccup's way of trying to comfort him and that made a warm sensation spread inside him. The feeling of Hiccup's fingertip brushing against his pale skin was making him feel safe and driving him insane all at the same time. The brunet's gentle touch was making his skin tingle and his heart beat faster and the way he was looking at him with those forest green eyes filled with concern and fondness was close to being too much for Jack to handle. It almost felt like time was standing still and he had to actually _really_ focus and restrain himself, so he wouldn't end up doing something _incredibly _stupid. It would be _so_ easy to just…close the gap between them and do that one little thing that he so desperately wanted to do.

No. Don't…think…about…that. That _little_ thing had the potential to crumble their entire friendship to dust._ Never_ do that.

When Hiccup retracted his hand and let his arm drop to his side again, Jack instantly missed the contact between them and wished he hadn't stopped. The Ravenclaw's touch still lingered on his cheeks and he longed to just feel that brush of skin again.

"You shouldn't cry, Jack…" Hiccup told him gently, observing him with those kind green eyes.

"Sometimes it's necessary" Jack replied softly and then shrugged.

"Yeah it is…" Hiccup agreed quietly. "I just…hate seeing you like this."

Jack nodded slowly in understanding. He would feel the same way if he ever saw Hiccup cry. Just seeing him being sad right not without crying was almost too much. What Hiccup didn't know though…was that Jack already felt _a lot _better, since he had told him that he didn't want to be with Astrid.

Then once again, Hiccup took him by surprise, as the brunet reached out and pulled him closer in one quick movement. He leaned against Hiccup's side, as the dragon rider kept his arm around Jack's shoulder. It was unusual for Hiccup to initiate this kind of physical contact and once again Jack instantly knew that Hiccup wanted to comfort him, and he really appreciated that. Even though Jack felt much better as Hiccup's news had banished his sinking feeling of depression, he was still exhausted from all the emotional turmoil raging inside him for the last couple of days. He couldn't help resting his weary head on Hiccup's shoulder and he felt the familiar warmth and closeness taking over him, chasing away the last remnants of his misery, as he let the guy he cared so much for hold him close. He continued to let his head rest on Hiccup's shoulder and that familiar scent of pine that always seemed to cling to Hiccup reached his nostrils and somehow just calmed his mind even more.

The fact that Hiccup had turned Astrid down made the world seem a lot brighter than it did just a little while ago. Sure, he still had a hopeless one-sided crush on his friend but…at least Hiccup wasn't going to be snatched away just yet. Jack didn't have to worry about seeing him with someone else, pretending to be happy for him while he was really falling apart inside and that was just an _incredible_ relief that made him feel almost bubbly inside.

In this intimate moment between them, as they sat closely together in the deserted Astronomy Tower in the pale light of the moon, there was no Astrid…no fangirls…no one else who could try to lay claim on the dragon riding Viking that Jack had grown so close to. He had Hiccup and his affection all to himself and at that thought a gentle, warm happiness spread inside him for the first time in days.

**Author's note:**

So...what did you think? Are you happy that Hiccup chose not to be with Astrid? :) I'm looking forward to reading your opinions.

And I PROMISE that Jack will be happier from now on, since the whole Astrid thing isn't looming over him and Hiccup anymore.

I'll just briefly explain what happened between Flynn and Hiccup in the corridor that made Flynn tell him where Jack was, because I don't want people to think that Flynn is a jerk. After having talked with Astrid, Hiccup bumped into Flynn in the corridors, and obviously Flynn could tell that something was wrong with him, so he asked him if he was okay. Hiccup told him that he was in a bad mood because of something between him and Astrid but didn't really want to talk about it, so Flynn put the puzzle pieces together and figured out that Astrid and Hiccup were not going to be together, so when Hiccup asked him where Jack was, he didn't hesitate in letting him know, because he wanted Hiccup to go to Jack and open up about what happened with Astrid, so Jack could get some relief from his pain.

Pooka Spirit: Since you don't have an account I can't PM you and thank you, so I'll just do it here quickly. Thanks so much for the wonderful words! It makes me really happy that you are reviewing and that you think so highly of my writing skills :)

Translations:

Fiskr: Means "Fish" in old norse.

Snær Flekkr: Means "speck of snow" or "snowflake" in old norse.


	11. Pain and suffering in various tempos

**Author's note:**

Hi guys, I'm back :) Here's the newest chapter and I hope you'll like it :)

~~~~ Hiccup ~~~~

TIME SKIP: 2 WEEKS.

As he walked back towards the Ravenclaw tower after his night flight with Toothless and wandered through the dark corridors with only the light from his wand to guide him, he felt a soft, delicate contentment spread through him. It was amazing how flying with Toothless just…made the world fade away, so nothing existed but the two of them…free and happy in the skies…away from responsibilities, from insecurities, from worries about the future. After a flight, an odd but pleasant calmness always washed over him once the adrenaline wore off…like a vital need had now been fulfilled. It made sense. Despite not being a dragon and thereby having a natural urge to fly, Hiccup felt tense and restless when he was kept on the ground for too long. Those times his dad had punished him by forbidding him to go flying for days had been tense and awful. Ever since he met Toothless, flying had become such a major part of his life that it was now as if he had the same natural urge to fly as a dragon…a dragon who got frustrated and depressed when he couldn't let the world disappear below him as he shot towards the sky and then glided through the air, touched the elusive clouds and felt the wind against his body.

The large old stone hallways were completely abandoned and the only sound in the darkness was his footsteps across the stone floors and the occasional muttering of a painting, when he passed a grumpy one who was bothered by the light. It was late at night and everyone in the castle was sleeping by now, as was always the case when he came back from his late flight with his best friend. It was a good thing that headmaster Lunar had allowed him to wander around this late without getting detention, as that was really the only way he could avoid anyone noticing that he snuck back and forth every night.

After having walked along the corridors for a little while, the pale light of his Lumos spell illuminating the passageways in a faint glow, he reached the familiar portrait to the Ravenclaw common room and then walked through it after having told it the answer to the riddle. He swiftly crossed the large blue and grey common room that was drenched in darkness to reach the stairs, eager to just let his head hit the pillow and get some sleep now. Whenever the adrenaline subsided and that sense of calm washed over him after a flight, he also became quite tired from having used all his energy on Toothless and their drills.

He walked up the staircase, which let out a discontent creak with every step he took and he quickly found the room he and Fishlegs shared with David and Matthew. He broke the Lumos spell that lit up his wand, gently pushed open the door and the familiar sounds of snoring and loud breathing reached his ears. He walked into the darkness, carefully closing the door behind him, making sure not to make a sound, and then approached his bed. He slowly began removing his armor piece by piece and placed it all in the chest under his bed as usual. Then he took off his pants and his long sleeved shirt, before putting on a soft, green T-shirt and some black pajama bottoms, relishing the warmth spreading on his skin from the soft clothes.

He suddenly heard Fishlegs mumble in his sleep and he turned his head towards his blonde, Viking friend and watched him for a few moments. Despite the darkness, the pale moonlight shone through one of the cracks in the heavy curtains and let some of its white beams illuminate the room slightly.

"No…no…what's that? What…is…that?" Fishlegs said in distress, turning in his sleep.

Even though Hiccup was already aware of how this was going to go down, he still replied. "What's what, Fish?" with a smile on his face.

"Mind your own business!" his Viking friend spat angrily and then his squirming slowly ceased.

Hiccup chuckled. Fishlegs was seriously such a drama queen in his sleep sometimes.

He turned his attention to his prosthetic and quickly clicked it off and placed it on the chair next to his bed. Then he hobbled the few feet to the bed and let himself drop on to the soft mattress. He crawled under the covers and let out a content sigh as he felt his muscles relax and the tension from the strain of using them began to leave his body. His eyelids started to droop as he sank into the mattress, and he just felt _so_ comfortable right now that it could hardly be real. As he closed his eyes he embraced the peaceful darkness and let the world fade away.

Then his eyes shot open immediately, when a familiar jolt of pain stabbed through a limb that was no longer there.

Oh no…not this…not now!

He bit his bottom lip hard to avoid making a sound that would wake up the others, as his missing limb began to throb violently, causing stabs pain to ripple through it. Hiccup felt the frustration build up inside him and he just wanted to scream right now, letting all his anger and hopelessness regarding this pain _out_. It was so horribly _familiar_ by now, because it had been a companion of his for years.

He lied motionless on his bed, closing his eyes and taking deep breaths to help him block out the pulsations that went through his missing limb, when a thought occurred to him.

Shit…

He_ had _promised Jack, hadn't he? His pale friend had _insisted_ that Hiccup let him know the next time this happened, but gods…he_ really_ didn't want to. Even though Jack had already seen him like this, it still made him feel weak and helpless.

He sighed deeply to himself, but then other zap of pain echoed through the non-existent limb and he hissed angrily in pain, clenching his fists tightly and scrunching his face.

He groaned as he rolled onto his side and reached out towards his nightstand, opening the drawer and pulling out that small object that Jack had given him. For a few moments, he just watched the item in his hand, considering if there was any way to avoid letting Jack know. Well, obviously there was but…he _had_ made a promise, and he didn't break his promises.

He clicked the button on it and then quickly spelled out the answer to the riddle by the portrait entrance. Well…now there was no turning back. He quickly sat up and then got to his feet (well, foot), only letting his weight rest on his good leg, as those familiar, throbbing pulsations keep shooting through his non-existent extremity. Then he reached out and grabbed his prosthetic from the chair it was resting on and quickly clicked it on again, before putting on his dark green Converse shoes as well. Jack hadn't seen his prosthetic yet, and he wasn't sure if he felt comfortable showing it to him, so he just decided to conceal it as usual. He quickly bent down, contorting his face in pain, and pulled the home-made straps inside the left shoe around the end of his prosthetic, so the shoe didn't slide off but was kept in place.

Then he began to hobble towards the door, agonizing stabs tormenting him every step of the way. He tried his best to be quiet, walking slowly and carefully and biting his lip to avoid making any pained noises. He made it out of the room without waking anyone, which was a relief. He sighed a little before he began his slow, uncertain walk down the old staircase towards the common room. He used the railing to alleviate some of the weight pressing down on the prosthetic.

As he entered the familiar, large blue and grey common room with the painted dome ceiling, he limped towards one of the long, blue couches by the fireplace. Every step was horrible and he couldn't help wincing. When he was finally next to one of the couches, he gently placed himself on it and then lied down and stretched out his legs, resting his head on one of the cushions by the end of it.

He let out a sigh and rubbed his temples a little. Gods, he was so sick of this.

~~~~ Jack ~~~~

He was dreaming of playing in the snow with Emma, their happy laughter echoing through the air, as they threw snowballs at each other and built snowmen, when he was suddenly pulled out of the pleasant sleeping world by a familiar noise.

He blinked a few times, taking in the darkness of the room. He was about to close his eyes again and get back to those wonderful dreams, when his mind began to work and told him what the sound had actually been.

He instantly sat up, reached out towards his nightstand and grabbed the object on it. Sure enough, the answer to the riddle to the Ravenclaw common room was written on it, and Jack knew exactly what that meant. He felt a strong mix of concern and relief…concern because Hiccup was obviously in pain again…and relief because he had actually held up his end of their deal and let him know about it. He knew just how difficult it was for Hiccup to ask for help when he felt vulnerable, so this was a big leap of faith for the Ravenclaw.

Jack rubbed his eyes a few times, before getting up. The coldness of the wooden floorboards under the soles of his feet sent a chill through his body, making him shiver a little, as he moved towards the dresser next to his bed and took out his favorite blue hoodie. He quickly pulled it over his head and enjoyed the familiar warmth it brought. Then he took his wand from his nightstand and stuffed it in the front pocket. He didn't bother changing out of his grey sweatpants, before quietly making his way towards the door without waking any of his mates. Luckily, he was successful as he exited the room, walked down the staircase and then quickly made his way through the large Gryffindor common room. The darkness of the surroundings were only slightly broken by the pale light of the moon shining through one of the windows, letting him cross the room without stumbling or walking into something. He left through the portrait of the fat lady and began to slowly descend several of the large, moving staircases from the tower, before turning down a corridor.

He knew that he was going to be in a lot of trouble if any professors found him walking around the castle at night, so he was extra careful to peek around corners and listen intently for any sound that might indicate someone approaching. He used his wand to light his way, but kept the light dim, as to not draw too much attention if someone was in fact nearby. He had chosen not to put on shoes, but just pad barefoot down the hallways, quite enjoying the cold stone floor against his feet. He hadn't chosen to leave his shoes behind just because he really liked being barefoot, but also because he could move more silently then. He needed to get to Hiccup to keep him company while he was in pain, and he wasn't going to let_ anyone_ keep him away.

As Jack carefully and quietly made his way through the dark corridors on his way to the Ravenclaw tower, he thought about how incredibly grateful he was that he was able to be around Hiccup again without being _too _awkward and nervous. Ever since Hiccup decided he didn't want to be with Astrid two weeks ago, Jack found his mood improving every day, and it slowly got easier to be around the brunet again. Sure, he still had moments of self-consciousness and awkwardness on a regular basis, and he felt a blush creep into his pale cheeks, whenever Hiccup said something that his brain traitorously twisted into something else, or when his friends teased him about his crush or when he had certain…thoughts…and once in a while, he felt sad that Hiccup was probably never going to return his feelings. However, he was able to have long conversations with him again, leave friendly touches on him once in a while, pull pranks and enjoy their friendly banter and that was all just…_such_ a major relief.

Of course Hiccup remained completely oblivious to his crush on him. Not that anyone could blame him for that…Hiccup was incredibly smart and observant, but as far as he knew, Jack was still completely straight and hadn't even known about what happened between him and Astrid, until he told him about it that night at the Astronomy Tower. So how could he possibly put the pieces together?

Luckily, he didn't meet anyone on his way to the Ravenclaw tower and it hadn't taken him that long to get there either, despite having to be extra careful watching out for professors. As the portrait entrance came into view, Jack smiled softly to himself. He told the portrait the answer to the riddle and it swung open, revealing that impressive common room with the high ceiling painted like the night sky. He was still quite in awe of that…it really was beautiful.

He entered the common room and immediately spotted Hiccup lying on one of the blue couches by the fireplace with his eyes closed. He knew the Ravenclaw wasn't asleep though. Not just because it was impossible because of the pain, but also because Jack could hear him deliberately taking deep breaths in an even pattern, which was one of his strategies for dealing with the pain.

"Heey Hic." he said soothingly to his brunet friend, as he approached him.

Hiccup opened his green eyes and observed him, as he walked closer.

"Hey Jack." the Viking replied softly, his voice a little strained by the obvious pain, while Jack had now covered the distance between them and was standing next to him, looking down on him in worry.

"Is it bad?" he asked him, his brow furrowing in concern.

"Yes." Hiccup said honestly.

Jack nodded and then placed himself on the couch across from the one Hiccup was lying on, the two couches separated by a small, square table.

"Is there anything I can do?" He asked his friend, eager to help him with anything he might need.

"I don't think so…"

"Don't you have any more painkilling potion?"

"No…" Hiccup sighed. "I haven't been aware that it had already been two weeks and was about time for…this."

Jack sighed a little too. Well, that wasn't good. Even though Hiccup had made it clear that painkilling potion didn't remove his pain, he had also said that it at least took the edge off. Now though, he would have to do without it and Jack didn't like that one bit.

"Well…I'm here with you, Hic…I'll stay here." he said soothingly, hoping that having some company would at least be comforting to Hiccup…that it would help that he wasn't alone as usual with this.

"Thanks Jack." Hiccup mumbled genuinely.

Jack moved from a sitting position to lying down on the couch on his side, stretching out his legs and letting his body sink into the soft piece of furniture. He observed Hiccup for a little while in silence. The Viking's face contorted several times, and he let out some low, pained hisses once in a while, when a particularly horrible wave of pain crashed over him. Jack _really_ hated seeing him like this…he just wanted to chase his pain away, but he knew that he couldn't. Maybe though…he could take Hiccup's mind off it just a little by occupying him with some conversation. If he was up to it, that was.

"Can I ask you something?" he said, watching Hiccup intently.

"Yeah, sure." Hiccup replied, turning his head a little to watch Jack with dull, green eyes, but still lying on his back.

"Is it…normal being an amputee in the archipelago?" Jack asked hesitantly. He had thought about it several times during their friendship, so he might as well ask now. He wasn't completely sure if Hiccup would mind this question though.

"Yeah, it is…there are plenty of Vikings with fake limbs." Hiccup told him, not seeming bothered by it.

"Do you keep it hidden back home too?" Jack asked, as his blue eyes took in the dark green Converse shoes covering both Hiccup's one foot and the end of his prosthetic. Obviously, he didn't need shoes in here, so it was a clear sign that he didn't feel like letting Jack see his artificial limb. He didn't take it personally though…Hiccup had self-esteem issues, so it was to be expected that he wasn't eager to let people see his prosthetic, but…Jack found himself hoping that he would be comfortable enough one day to show it to him. That would be a big sign of trust.

"No." Hiccup simply said, but his green eyes didn't become guarded, so Jack felt comfortable continuing asking questions.

"Why not?" he replied and kept watching the brunet Viking for any changes in his expressions that would signal if he was somehow uncomfortable with the topic.

"Like I said…It's normal back home. Here…it's not." the Ravenclaw explained and then took a few deep breaths while closing his eyes, obviously experiencing a nasty jolt of pain now.

Jack felt that tug in his heart that told him that he_ really_ wanted to protect Hiccup…but of course he couldn't shield him from this. After the first time he had helped Hiccup with his phantom pains, the Viking had explained more about it to him, and told him that it was the brain getting pain signals confused and all jumbled after the amputation. There wasn't anything Jack could do, since it was Hiccup's own mind playing tricks on him, so he just had to be by his side for support.

"You don't want people staring at you." Jack replied softly. He knew just how much Hiccup disliked being observed by strangers, so it would definitely be hell for him to walk around with his prosthetic out, drawing all that attention to himself.

"Exactly…" Hiccup began and then turned his gaze towards the ceiling instead of Jack. "Not to mention that…" the brunet said but then trailed off, as his eyes became slightly glazed over for a moment, clearly thinking about something.

"What?" Jack asked, eager to know what was going through Hiccup's mind right now. Even though he had come to know so much about Hiccup by now, there were definitely still plenty of things that he had _not_ discovered yet due to Hiccup's shy and guarded nature, and he always wanted to collect more of those puzzle pieces…to find out more about the guy he cared so much for.

"Some people are pretty repulsed by the whole idea and I _really _don't need that." Hiccup explained calmly, still observing the ceiling.

Jack immediately frowned. "Really?"

"Yeah…missing limbs aren't exactly something that people here are used to…" Hiccup began, but then hissed in pain, bit his lip and scrunched his face.

Jack watched him carefully and felt the sympathy swirl inside him. Why did Hiccup have to suffer from something that no one could do anything about? It just…wasn't fair. He didn't deserve that.

Hiccup took a few deep breaths and then seemed to be better, no longer contorting his face.

"Some find it disgusting, others are _creepily _fascinated by it and some like to remind me that…I'm not a whole person anymore." Hiccup then finished explaining, hesitating in letting out the last part, as if he wasn't completely sure he wanted to tell Jack.

"What are you talking about?" Jack asked in slight disbelief, his forehead creased from confusion. This really didn't sound good.

Hiccup sighed and placed his hands on his stomach. "_Some_ people…think I'm worth less now, because I don't have a whole leg anymore."

"What?" Jack said in surprise and his blue eyes widened for a few seconds. "Seriously?" he then asked, and he knew that his voice had taken on a hint of anger now. He really couldn't help it...how could _anyone_ seriously think that?

"Yeah…being an amputee makes me inferior in their eyes."

"That's fucking _stupid_" Jack instantly replied, unable to keep more frustration out of his tone. That protective instinct of his bubbled inside him now. If he_ ever_ witnessed someone say something like that to Hiccup, he would feel like punching their face in.

Hiccup just remained quiet, which made Jack feel uneasy.

"Hiccup…you don't seriously believe what they're saying, do you?" he asked the Viking boy, wanting to be sure that he didn't let those kinds of ridiculous comments get to him. His ego was bruised enough as it was, despite how many great traits and skills he possessed.

"No, I don't…but it's just…it's never _pleasant_ hearing that sort of thing."

"No, it isn't…but you know what? Sure, you're missing your foot and some of your leg, but…it's not like you're _that_ affected by it…you can do pretty much everything that you could do before it happened, right?" he said reassuringly to his brunet friend.

"Yeah, pretty much." Hiccup nodded. "The only thing that really bothers me about it is the phantom pains."

Jack nodded. "Yeah, and that's understandable." he said and then wrapped his arms around himself, snuggling a little into his soft blue hoodie for extra warmth. "Who says those _stupid_ things to you anyway?" he asked, wanting to know who he had to keep an eye on.

"Bully types mostly…but it hasn't happened in a long time…and now it's not really likely to happen, since people seem to think I'm interesting now."

"Good." Jack replied, unable to keep that underlying anger out of his voice.

A small, amused smile tugged at Hiccup's lips and he turned his head to look at Jack instead of the ceiling.

"Jack…you don't have to worry about me. I'm not a child. I can take care of it if anything happens." Hiccup reassured him.

"I_ know _that, Hic…trust me." Jack began, briefly thinking that he was in fact _very _well aware that Hiccup wasn't a child, since he was crushing so hard on him. "But it's just…you've been alone for so many years of your life. I don't _want_ you to fight all your battles alone anymore…I _know _that you're strong and tough and can handle pretty much anything, but…you really shouldn't have to do it by yourself, now that you have people in your life who care so much about you." he finished explaining, looking Hiccup in the eye. He really wanted him to understand this. Despite having loving friends, the brunet still had a tendency to handle all his problems alone as well as isolate himself when something was bothering him. Not that Jack could blame him…it seemed like a reasonable way of reacting considering Hiccup's childhood.

Hiccup's eyes softened, as soon as the words had left Jack's mouth. Jack found himself smiling at the Ravenclaw lying on the couch across from him.

"Jack?" Hiccup asked, with a small smile quirking his lips.

"Yeah?"

"You're amazing. I hope you know that." Hiccup told him with fondness evident on his face.

Jack instantly felt the affection bubble vigorously inside his entire being in response, and the butterflies flapped in his stomach, when his crush told him this. His heart beat sped up and he felt a warm smile spread across his face. Geez…Hiccup had no idea what he was doing to him…the feelings he was sparking inside him.

"Thanks, Hic." he said, unable to wipe that smile off his face.

"You know…at first…I wasn't sure if you actually wanted to be my friend or if you were just…trying to use me like everyone else." Hiccup softly explained to him, keeping those green eyes trained on him. Jack could see the exhaustion in them from dealing with the pain, but he also knew that Hiccup would let him know if he was too tired to keep talking.

"Yeah, I know…" Jack replied and then lifted his head briefly to adjust the cushion he was resting it on.

"You know?"

"Of course." he said and then once again rested his head of snow-white hair on the blue cushion. "I _know_ you by now…it would be very unlike you, if you _hadn't_ had those thoughts."

"Yeah, that's true…" Hiccup agreed with a small smile. "Anyway…I guess I'm just trying to tell you that I'm really glad we're friends."

"Me too, Hic. Me too." Jack replied and smiled at the brunet Viking. Of course he really wanted them to be_ more_ than friends, but…if it was friendship or nothing then he would definitely choose friendship any day.

As time passed, the two boys remained on a couch each, Hiccup resting and trying to deal with the pain, and Jack observing him and sometimes getting lost in his own thoughts. Once in a while they had some short conversations but they were regularly interrupted, when Hiccup told him he needed a break. Then the Viking would usually close his eyes and use those breathing techniques of his to deal with the pain, not being able to focus properly on talking with Jack.

When Hiccup began to relax a little again after another jolt of pain, they started discussing the differences between Viking culture and modern muggle culture, as they had done several times during their friendship. It was still strange to Jack that there was a whole archipelago full of Vikings who lived without the luxuries of modern society, and he always wanted to know more about it.

"It's just still…weird to think about how you guys are like…completely isolated from the outside world." Jack told his Viking friend, furrowing his forehead a little.

"I know." Hiccup said with a small smile.

"I mean…no TV…no internet…no phones…no electricity or modern commodities of any kind."

"Yeah, but…when you've never known anything else, it's not really a problem." Hiccup told him.

"I can imagine…do you sometimes miss modern things when you're back home?"

"Not really…I mean, sure the wizarding world is more modern than the archipelago, but it's still pretty old fashioned…and the only time I've had anything to do with modern muggle stuff is when I'm at Rapunzel's house and that's only like…a few weeks a year, so…it's not really a big part of my life."

Jack nodded. "So was it a big shock the first time you were out among the muggles?"

"Oh yeah…me and Fishlegs were visiting Rapunzel at her parent's house in the summer after our first year here. Then her and her parents actually took us shopping for clothes and shoes and such. We were_ not _used to that kind of thing…back home there isn't that many options and suddenly we had to decide what we liked and didn't like among hundreds of things…not to mention being around all those muggles, who looked and acted so much differently than what we were used to."

Jack chuckled. "Two Viking boys…used to being around weapons and fierce warriors and dragon attacks…rendered shocked by a shopping trip."

"Yeah yeah." Hiccup said dismissively, although he couldn't hold back a small smirk. "Have your fun, _Snær Flekkr_. You're just as bad as Flynn, when he says that we're _"like_ _people from the past_".

"Oh yes…" Jack said. "But…" he then continued with a mischievous smirk. "Let me tell you a secret…if you ever need some blackmail on Flynn…his real name is Eugene Fitzherbert and he does _not_ like it when anyone brings that up. So…if you need him to shut up about something, just call him Eugene and he'll clam up instantly." Jack chuckled.

"What? Really?" Hiccup asked in what appeared to be a mix of disbelief and amusement.

"Yup."

"Why did he change his name?"

"Well…he didn't know his dad for most of his life, but when his mum finally managed to track him down and reestablish the contact when Flynn was like…9 or something, Flynn became really close with him. His dad's last name is Rider and apparently that reminded Flynn of a story he used to read all the time about this brilliant, rich swashbuckler named Flynn Rider, so he decided to change his name to that, since he'd always hated his real name anyway." Jack explained with a fond smile on his lips. He could imagine little Eugene being all excited and fascinated by the stories of Flynn Rider's amazing adventures.

"Wow…good to know then." Hiccup said with a smirk. "Eugene Fitzherbert…" he then said thoughtfully, as if he was trying out what it felt like to pronounce it.

"Yeah…not the best name right?" Jack asked him and grinned. He had teased Flynn about it_ so_ many times during the years. It wasn't that the name was _that_ bad, but Flynn's hatred for it just made it hilarious to joke about.

"Well…I'm not_ really_ in a position to judge anyone's name, Jack" Hiccup told him with a small smile, which instantly triggered a thought in Jack's mind.

"Yeah, about that…" he started uncertainly, not sure if Hiccup would want to answer this or if this would be one of those situations, where he became guarded. "When we had that first real conversation in the library, you told me that people think Fishlegs has it worse than you, name-wise…what did you mean by that?"

"You _actually_ remembered that?" Hiccup asked him with a raised eyebrow.

"Well, yeah. It was interesting." Jack shrugged and quickly suppressed a blush.

Hiccup hesitated for a few moments, but then spoke. "Hiccup is a name the Vikings back home give to the runts…so…you can imagine why it's not considered the best name."

"What? Seriously?" Jack asked in disbelief, raising his eyebrows in surprise.

"Yeah."

"That's just…_seriously_, Hiccup…" he said and shook his head. That actually seemed like quite a cruel thing to do…reminding people who are small that they aren't living up to the standards of the Vikings around them. "Again…no wonder that you're so…lacking in confidence."

"I know." Hiccup just said, but didn't really seem affected by it.

"I _really_ hate when people put you down, you know."

A small smile graced Hiccup's lips. "Oh I know." he replied and there was a little amusement in his tone now.

"What? Is that funny?" Jack asked, unable to keep a warm smile from tugging at his lips.

"A little…" Hiccup began. "Don't think I haven't noticed that you're seriously overprotective of me."

"Well, it sort of goes both ways doesn't it?" Jack replied and raised an eyebrow at his friend. It was true though.

"Yeah, it does." Hiccup admitted. "I might be…a _bit _protective of you too."

"Just a tad." Jack said and then chuckled a little. He felt warm on the inside, as he once again thought about how close he and Hiccup had grown.

After a while Hiccup began to get more and more exhausted and after they had been in the Ravenclaw common room for about three hours in total, the Viking started to slowly drift off into the sleeping world. He was having trouble keeping his eyes open and he let out some huge yawns, as they finished the conversation they had been having, where Jack had shared his theory that professor Bunnymund and the librarian ms. Wynn had unresolved sexual tension, which caused Hiccup to laugh several times. Now however, the Ravenclaw was definitely getting too tired to continue talking, so Jack just remained quiet and let him rest.

"Jack…?" Hiccup suddenly mumbled, his eyelids drooping and his voice sounding incredibly tired.

"Yeah?" he asked the brunet, watching him struggle to not fall asleep yet. He resisted the urge to just coo at Hiccup for being so damn cute right now.

"Thanks for being here…" Hiccup said quietly and now he had his eyes closed.

"I'm always here for you, Hic." he replied softly and really meant it.

"Thanks Jack." the brunet mumbled and then began to lose the fight against sleep. Even though Jack always wanted to talk more to him, he was relieved that he was getting some rest and that the pain had subsided enough for him to sleep.

Jack repositioned himself on the couch, so he was lying more comfortably and then just observed Hiccup for a while, as the Viking began sleeping peacefully. It wasn't long though, before he started to drift off as well, having only gotten a few hours of sleep before Hiccup had woken him up.

~~~~ Jack ~~~~

When Jack slowly opened his blue eyes, he squinted as the brightness of the room flooded his vision. He was momentarily confused about why he was lying on a couch, until he spotted Hiccup sleeping on the couch across from him, and he remembered that he had stayed with his brunet friend to keep him company. He slowly pulled himself up to a sitting position and rubbed his eyes a little. He sat there for a few moments, just taking some time to truly wake up, and then he got to his feet.

He covered the short distance to the other couch and looked down at Hiccup.

"Hey, Hic. Wake up." he said softly and nudged the guy's shoulder a little with a hand.

Hiccup's green eyes slowly opened and blinked a few times to focus. He looked up at Jack and smiled a little, before sitting up.

Jack took a few steps back to give Hiccup some space and observed him, as the Viking boy stretched his arms out and yawned.

"How are you feeling?" he asked him, watching him for any signs of pain, although it was unlikely that he still felt any of that.

"I'm okay." Hiccup said with a tired smile and nodded a few times.

"No pain anymore?" he asked him, tilting his head of snow-white hair a little.

"No, but…I'm pretty tired." Hiccup replied and rubbed his eyes with one hand.

"Well, that's to be expected right?"

"Yeah, definitely…"

"Maybe you should…get out of going to class today?" Jack suggested, although he already knew that Hiccup probably wouldn't agree to that.

"Nah, it's okay, Jack." Hiccup told him and did one of those familiar dismissive motions with his hand.

"Are you sure? You've told me before that you have to relax after this sort of thing to not trigger more pain."

"Yeah, I know…I'll take it easy today, but I don't want to skip classes…I'm fine…and besides, we're going to practice the Patronus charm today. I definitely don't want to miss that." Hiccup explained and then gave him a bright smile.

"Yeah, that's going to be awesome." Jack said excitedly, sharing his friend's enthusiasm about it.

Hiccup nodded eagerly in response.

"Well, Hic…I'm going to head back to the Gryffindor tower…I want to take a shower and change before breakfast."

"Yeah, good idea. See you at breakfast." Hiccup told him.

"Yeah, see you." Jack replied and gave the Viking a small wave, before turning around.

He walked a few steps towards the exit, but then had a thought that he needed to get an answer to. He instantly stopped and turned around to face Hiccup.

"Hic?"

"Yeah?" the Ravenclaw replied and watched him with curiosity.

"Did it help that I was here?" He asked tentatively, tilting his head a little. Somehow he just wanted to know if he had made a difference…if he had actually soothed some of Hiccup's pain.

A soft, warm smile tugged at Hiccup's lips.

"Yeah…it did. Thanks Jack" his Viking friend told him.

"Any time, Hic." he replied and then turned around and exited the Ravenclaw common room through the portrait.

~~~~ Jack ~~~~

When he sat among his friends at the Gryffindor table at breakfast, he felt less tired than usual despite not getting that much sleep today. As he cut a piece of the pancakes on his plate, stabbed it with his fork and then brought it into his mouth, he briefly considered if it was because he had been there for Hiccup that he felt revitalized. It had made him happy and relieved, when Hiccup told him that he had helped him deal with the pain. At least he had managed to actually soothe his brunet friend _a little_ and that was very important to him. He didn't mind at all giving up some sleep for that.

As he took a sip of the hot tea in his mug, he listened to the conversation taking place between his three friends about what to buy their families for Christmas. It was the end of November now, so it wouldn't be long before they would go on their annual Christmas shopping trip to Hogsmeade and then go home for the holidays. Flynn, Mavis and Merida always spent a few days at Jack's house during the Christmas holidays, before going home to their own families and spending Christmas eve with them, and it was something he was looking forward to every year.

However, as he kept eating his pancakes and listening to his friends talking and laughing, some unfamiliar thoughts regarding the subject entered his mind. Being away from Hogwarts would also mean that he wouldn't be seeing Hiccup for a while and that was actually going to be difficult for him. There wasn't really any way out of it though…he needed (and wanted) to go home for Christmas to see his family and Hiccup was going home to Berk. The Viking was probably_ really_ looking forward to spending time with Toothless again.

After taking another sip of his tea, he looked towards the Ravenclaw table and his blue eyes quickly found that brown hair that belonged to Hiccup. He was keeping an eye on Rapunzel who was eagerly telling him and Fishlegs something, gesturing wildly with her hands. Hiccup smiled at the bubbly blonde in front of him and continued to listen to her story with attentive, caring eyes, despite his obvious tiredness from lack of sleep due to the phantom pains. Jack could feel his stomach doing flips immediately.

He suddenly noticed some Ravenclaw girl sitting a little further down the table watching Hiccup with adoration in her eyes, but of course the Viking was _completely _unaware of this. Even though Jack was a little annoyed by it, he couldn't really blame her. As Hiccup had grown up, _anyone_ could see that he was a good-looking guy now. He knew that the brunet would _never_ believe it if anyone told him, but he was in fact _very_ attractive…and somehow…the fact that he could almost never see the good in himself because he was emotionally scarred, only made him more amazing. He sighed a little to himself as he continued to watch the dragon rider, who was still listening to something Rapunzel was telling him. Jack felt a goofy smile spread across his face. Oh, how he was in_ deep _trouble with this…Somehow though…it didn't matter right now.

"Jackie?" he heard Flynn's voice ask, breaking his focus on the brunet Viking.

"Hmm?" he mumbled and forced himself to look away from Hiccup and turn his head to look at Flynn. His friend's eyes were sparkling with amusement and a smirk was tugging at his lips.

Jack's smile immediately disappeared. Oh great. Flynn had caught him staring at Hiccup just like that googly eyed Ravenclaw girl. Well _that_ wasn't embarrassing at all...

"Find something nice to look at this morning?" Flynn asked with mirth in his voice and raised his eyebrows in a suggestive manner, and Jack instantly felt a blush creep into his pale cheeks. Mavis and Merida both chuckled at the comment.

Oh god. _Why_ did humans have the ability to blush? It was like a cruel curse that broadcast to everyone just how self-conscious you were. Like a huge sign that said "I'M NOT AT ALL COMFORTABLE IN MY OWN SKIN RIGHT NOW! LOOK AT ME! LOOK AT ME!"

The four of them all knew that even though Flynn would stick with Jack through thick and thin and offer his support any time Jack needed it, that didn't get him off the hook when it came to Flynn's friendly teasing…in fact, he wasn't getting off the hook with _any_ of his three friends' teasing, now that he was no longer feeling depressed.

"Yeah…I did actually." Jack said quietly, a warm smile on his lips, not even bothering to deny it. What would be the point? Flynn had watched him observe Hiccup, and he also knew about his feelings towards the Ravenclaw, so naturally he had figured out that Jack was looking because he was…longing. Damn…how pathetic did_ that_ sound? He had almost_ just_ talked to him.

Flynn and Merida both flashed him warm, understanding smiles, while Mavis couldn't hold back an "Aww".

Jack rolled his eyes at her, but that only made her lips transform into a grin.

His friends had watched him being all confident and carefree with crushes for years, but now he was suddenly uncertain, nervous and had serious trouble controlling those blushes…especially when they made Hiccup-related comments that were meant to embarrass him. Not that he could blame them…teasing was an essential part of their friendship, but even so…he really wished that he didn't blush so easily these days.

"So Jack…" Mavis said, saving him from more of Flynn's teasing comments. He mentally thanked her, as he really didn't feel like deepening that blush that was currently warming his face. "Did you hear that the date's been set for you guys' rematch against the Slytherin Quidditch team?"

"What? No? When did that happen?" He asked and turned his attention to Merida, as she was sure to know this.

"I heard it from Astrid last night after you had gone to bed." his red-haired friend explained and then stabbed another sausage with her fork from the tray in front of her and brought it to her plate.

"Ah, okay…well, when is it then?" he eagerly wanted to know.

"Next weekend." Merida replied with an excited smile on her face. He knew that she was just as eager as he was to go up against the Slytherins.

"Great, we'll kick their asses." he told his friends confidently and then gave them a bright smile.

"Of course we will!" Merida exclaimed and then rubbed her hands together in an I-can't-wait-to-shoot-bludgers-at-Slytherins sort of way.

"And this time, you better not scare us like you did last time." Flynn said with an amused smirk, but there was an underlying seriousness to the statement.

"Hey, it wasn't exactly my fault that someone jinxed that bludger." Jack said and held up his hands in a surrendering gesture.

"True…and they better not do it again, or I'm going to hunt them down." Flynn said with a smile, but Jack knew that he _really_ meant that…that all of his friends felt that way. They were all very protective of each other and if the situation had been reversed and it had happened to one of them, he would definitely think the same thoughts.

"Me too." Merida said and punched her palm with her fist. Merlin help whoever went up against his fiery red-haired friend when she was angry, Jack briefly thought to himself and smiled a little.

"Thanks guys, but I doubt it will happen again. It was probably just a prank gone wrong or something." He told his friends and shrugged. He wasn't concerned at all to be honest. Sure, it had been very dangerous to be hit by that bludger, but it didn't exactly seem like something that would happen twice to one person.

"Let's hope so." Mavis said and tucked a lock of black hair behind one ear.

"Anyway…it's going to be fun!" he exclaimed with a grin on his face, already looking forward to being in the air on his broom again, chasing the snitch, evading bludgers and opponents, and throwing clever taunts back in the Slytherin's faces, whenever they decided to provoke him or some of the others…which they often did. That team really enjoyed riling up their opponents, so the best way to deal with them was too stay calm and then shoot some clever wit at them.

"Yeah, it is!" Merida agreed. "It's always fun wiping the smiles off those Slytherins' faces."

"You know…they beat you guys too once in a while." Mavis told them, the ever logical, rational part of their little group.

"Yeah, but not_ that _often. We win more than they do!" Merida insisted.

"That's true, but still…you guys always say that you hate to admit it, but the Slytherins have the second best Quidditch team." Mavis argued with a smile quirking her lips.

"They do…but we'll still beat them." Jack said and Merida eagerly nodded with a bright smile.

"Of course you will. After all…they're only _second best._" Flynn agreed before taking a sip of his juice.

"And we'll be there to support you guys." Mavis told them with a warm smile.

"Well, then there's no way we can lose." Merida said excitedly and they all smiled at her in response.

~~~~ Hiccup ~~~~

As he was walking along the old stone corridors next to Fishlegs, and let out a big yawn due to how little sleep he'd gotten today, he found the absence of his Viking friend's eager voice quite unfamiliar. They were making their way towards the dungeons in silence, since Fishlegs was in a slightly sad mood today, so Hiccup had decided to give him some space. He knew that his friend was missing Meatlug every day, but today was a particularly bad one. He really wished that he could help him, but of course there was nothing he could do. Meatlug was back home on Berk. He felt a strong pang of sympathy in his chest, as he imagined the pain of being away from your dragon, and he once again found himself feeling incredibly grateful for being given the chance to have Toothless here with him.

They reached the old staircase to the dungeons and quickly made their way down the stone steps before entering the gloomy classroom. They walked to their usual workstation and both took a seat, while waiting for Jack and the others to come to class. Usually, Fishlegs occupied himself with talking to him or eagerly writing down some notes or reading in the Potions textbook, but today he was just sitting on the chair, looking depressed and wringing his hands a little.

Hiccup reached out and rubbed a few circles on his friend's back to show his support, and Fishlegs briefly turned his head and looked at him, a small but genuine smile tugging at his lips.

"Is there anything I can do, Fish?" he gently asked, as he let his arm drop to his side again. He was pretty sure he already knew the answer though.

"No, I don't think so…but thanks." Fishlegs told him with a small smile. "I just want to be a little sad right now."

"Of course…" Hiccup said. "You know…people always say "oh you shouldn't be sad" or "turn that frown upside down"…that kind of thing, but…it's natural to be sad sometimes, and it's better to just express it than to push it down and pretend it's not there." he told his Viking friend.

"Yeah, you're right…" Fishlegs agreed with a few nods and then his lips quirked a little.

"Just let me know if there's anything you need."

"Thanks, Hiccup." Fishlegs told him with appreciation in his voice.

Suddenly he spotted that familiar head of white hair, as Jack and the others entered the classroom and headed straight to their usual workstation. They all waved and shot smiles at him and Fishlegs, which they returned, although Fishlegs did it with less enthusiasm than usual.

Jack motioned with his hand for him to come over there, so he briefly looked at Fishlegs to silently ask him if he was okay with being by himself for a moment and his Viking friend nodded in reply.

He got to his feet and covered the distance to the four Gryffindors' workstation.

"What's wrong with Fish?" Jack asked, his forehead creasing in concern. Flynn, Merida and Mavis all watched him intently, as they awaited his answer, clearly also wondering what was going on with their friend.

"He just misses Meatlug." Hiccup explained, feeling the sympathy bubble inside him.

"Well, that's understandable…it's been a long time since he saw her. I'm sure you miss Toothless as well?" Mavis asked him with an understanding smile.

"Yeah…I miss Toothless whenever he's not by my side." Hiccup told her. It wasn't a lie. He really _did_ miss Toothless whenever his best friend wasn't around, even if he had almost_ just_ seen him not too long ago. He couldn't exactly tell them that though.

As Merida began talking about how much she missed her horse Angus, Hiccup's mind suddenly wandered to Astrid. He knew that she missed Stormfly terribly as well, but she was usually better at hiding it than Fishlegs was. Still though…he really admired his two friends' ability to get through the remaining school years separated from their dragons, only seeing them when they were back home for the holidays. He definitely would_ never_ have been able to do that. He couldn't be away from Toothless for that long, so if headmaster Lunar had not agreed to let him bring Toothless here in exchange for professor Brown studying him, then he would have given up finishing the rest of his magical education to be with his best friend.

Now that he thought about Astrid and Stormfly, naturally his thoughts also drifted towards the separation that had taken place between him and his blonde friend. He was still really hoping that they could remain friends, but in the end that was Astrid's decision. He did feel a little more hopeful these days though, as Astrid had begun to smile at him again, whenever they saw each other in class or passed each other in the corridors and such. The first week, she hadn't even looked at him at all, but now she actually smiled at him and once in a while gave him a small wave, so that was definitely progress. Hopefully it would continue to get better until they could once again spend time together, because he really missed her already.

"Hiccuuuuuuuuup." he suddenly heard Jack's voice say teasingly, pulling him out of his thoughts.

He blinked. "Yeah?" he asked his pale friend, turning his head to look him in the eye.

"You were just like…gone from the world for a while there." Jack told him with an amused smirk on his face.

"I was having an inner monologue. Thanks for ruining it, Snowball." Hiccup shot back and rolled his eyes.

"Oh come on…nothing that goes on in there is really_ that_ important, now is it?" Jack teased him with a challenging raise of an eyebrow.

"You're an_ evil_ snowcone…" he muttered, causing Jack and the others to instantly chuckle.

"Oh really? Maybe we should ask the other students about that? I seem to be pretty popular, you know." Jack said innocently.

"You don't need people's opinions on a_ fact_, Jack. If that was the case, you might as well ask them: is water wet? Do shoes exist?" he told his friend while gesturing with his hands to underline the point.

"Is Hiccup awkward when_ any_ attention is directed towards him?" Jack shot back, making the other Gryffindors giggle.

"Yes, well everyone knows _that_." He replied.

"The sooner you get used to it, the better, Hiccup. You're one of us popular people now." Flynn said teasingly with a grin on his face.

"You guys know that I don't _want_ to be popular." he groaned, and as usual his reluctance towards his popularity seemed to be_ very_ amusing to his friends, as they all chuckled in response.

"Well, you know Hic…if you didn't want to be _even more_ popular, you kind of made a serious mistake beginning to hang out with _us._" Jack grinned as he gestured to himself and the others. Flynn quickly hummed in agreement.

"I know that, but I realized it too late and now I'm stuck with you." he told his white-haired friend and sighed, pretending that this was actually a huge burden.

"Yup…you_ definitely _are." Jack replied, a fond smile gracing his lips. "You're still a dork though. _That _hasn't changed." the pale teen finished in amusement and nudged his shoulder. Hiccup couldn't help the smile that spread across his face. He knew that Jack always called him a dork in an affectionate way…just like when he called Jack an idiot sometimes.

"I _like _being a dork…I just miss being a mostly _ignored_ dork."

"Those days are gone now Hiccup, you might as well not reminisce about it." Flynn said with an amused smile and a dismissive wave of one hand.

"Yeah, and besides…watching you blush all the time is just too entertaining." Jack told him, Merida, Flynn and Mavis quickly humming in agreement.

His four friends were all so comfortable in their own skin and used to attention, so they took great joy in watching him being all weird about his popularity. Those evil Gryffindors…

"I swear to Thor, you all enjoy my awkwardness way too much…"

"Of course we are. It's hilarious." Flynn said with a bright grin and Jack quickly nodded.

"Well, I'm glad my suffering _amuses_ you. You guys suck." Hiccup said and then pretended to pout a little for comic effect.

"Awww, poor Hiccy…" Jack cooed at him, tilting his head a little. His pale friend reached out and ruffled his brown hair a little, and as usual the touch was warm and familiar to him.

"No, Jack…no." he told him firmly. Jack sometimes brought up that nickname just to annoy him and he was _not_ going to have it be a regular thing.

"You'll get used to it." Jack said with a smirk. "And if you don't want us to find your suffering hilarious, then simply make it more boring." the pale teen shrugged as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"You know…sometimes I wonder why we're friends." Hiccup shot back, furrowing his brow to pretend to be in deep contemplation about this.

Jack scoffed. "I'd say that's pretty obvious, Hic…you _clearly_ need someone who's not _just _amazingly brave and strong and fun, but who's also cunning and devilishly handsome to look out for you."

"Really?" Hiccup asked in mock curiosity. "Then what I am doing with _you_?"

The other teens chuckled in amusement, and Jack scowled at them, pretending to be offended.

"Wow, _that _was cold, dragon boy." Jack told him, but was unable to keep an amused smirk away.

"Hey, you walked right into it." he replied and nudged Jack's shoulder playfully, causing his white-haired friend to grin brightly at him.

"You totally did." Merida agreed with a happy smile on her face.

"Traitor." Jack told her and stuck his tongue out, which only caused Merida to smile even more.

Their conversation and friendly banter was interrupted by professor Creek entering the room, so Hiccup quickly went back to the workstation that he and Fishlegs were sharing with two Gryffindor girls that Hiccup didn't know the names of.

Their professor informed them that they would be brewing Volubilis potion today, and he explained that this potion could alter the drinker's voice or restore it if it had been lost, for example due to a silencing charm.

When professor Creek had finished a quick lecture on the potion and encouraged them to begin working, everyone started to lay out the needed utensils and move around the old, gloomy classroom in search of the correct ingredients from the dusty shelves. Hiccup had quickly found the needed ingredients and then cursed at Jack for once again nudging him in the back, causing him to drop something, as his white-haired friend seemed to love doing in _every single_ Potions class. Of course that pale snow-loving idiot quickly disappeared to avoid revenge, but he was _not_ getting off the hook that easily today. It was time for payback.

Hiccup let his eyes glide over the many containers with potions ingredients, before landing on a particular one. He smirked to himself, as he reached out, grabbed the dusty container and took the lid off. His fingers closed around one of the small vials in the container and then took it out, before putting the container back on the dark shelf. He looked at the vial of green liquid in his hand for a minute before returning to his and Fishlegs' workstation.

After working in silence for a little while, he glanced towards his Gryffindor friends' workstation to see what Jack was doing. As usual, he was helping Merida survive the class, and he actually had his back turned to his own batch, so it seemed like it was a good time to prank him now.

Hiccup quietly snuck closer and closer to the workstation, keeping an eye on Jack at all times, but his white-haired friend was still busy showing Merida how to chop the pungous onions without getting juice in the eyes. As he approached closer, Flynn and Mavis both spotted him and turned their heads slightly. They questioned him silently with their eyes, but he just gave them an amused smirk and put a finger to his lips to signal that they shouldn't say anything. They both grinned at him in response, but remained quiet. They kept watching him, although trying to be discreet about it so Jack wouldn't notice, and when Hiccup was finally close enough to the cauldron, he quickly took the cork out of the vial and poured the green liquid into the batch, before retreating back to his own workstation.

As he got back to Fishlegs, his Viking friend smiled at him in amusement, having obviously kept an eye on what he was doing. Then they both watched Jack and his cauldron for a few moments. Hiccup had specifically chosen that particular ingredient (Armadillo bile) to pour into it, because it was not just perfect for messing up almost every potion (except the few that actually required it), it also took a little while to work, giving him time to get away and time for Jack to finish helping Merida.

When the red-head put the onions into her batch, Jack turned back to watching his own potion. He began stirring it, when it, in only a few seconds, turned into a thick goo, foamed violently and then made a loud "pop" as it burst out of the cauldron, covering Jack's face and his white hair in the slimy, green substance.

Mavis, Merida and Flynn instantly roared with laughter, and Fishlegs and Hiccup joined in right away. That look of pure disbelief on Jack's face in combination with the gross, slimy goo that stuck to him was just way too amusing.

Jack reached out and grabbed one of the towels that hung on the side of every workstation and began wiping his face. His Gryffindor friends were still trying to get their laughter fit under control, and Hiccup couldn't keep himself from snickering. Jack had pulled so many pranks on him during their friendship, that it was only fair he got some payback once in a while.

After a little while, when his pale friend had removed most of the slimy goo from his face and his hair, he scowled at Merida, Flynn and Mavis.

"Which one of you was it? Who is going to be subjected to a genius but _brutal _revenge scheme?" Jack asked them, pretending to be offended and rubbing his hands together in that familiar I'm-plotting-something-evil way of his.

"Actually..." Mavis said with a small smirk and then pointed towards Hiccup.

Jack turned his head and Hiccup couldn't stop the huge grin on his face, as he waved at his friend.

"Oh, it…is…on, Viking boy!" Jack told him while pointing an accusing finger at him.

"Oh please…you've sabotaged _my_ potions several times, and you can't even handle a little retribution, Frosty?" Hiccup told him, waving his hand in a dismissive motion.

"Do you _really _want to start a prank war with me, Hic? I'm the _master _of pranking, remember?"

"Jack…I'm a _Viking_" Hiccup shot back with a fake air of superiority. "Do you _honestly_ think that you can beat me at _anything_?" he said and raised an eyebrow at his friend.

"That sounds like a challenge…I would sleep with one eye open if I were you." Jack said and narrowed his eyes at him in a mock threatening manner.

"No need to. I'll take you down with my brutal Viking wrath, if you so much as blink near me in a questionable manner."

"Psshh, like that would ever happen…you've grown too accustomed to me to ever "take me down", Hic. Just admit it." Jack told him confidently.

"Hmm…I guess you're right. I mean, I _have_ sort of gotten used to you now…"

"That's better…"

"…the same way someone gets used to…a boil…or a mysterious and slightly worrisome lump."

"What?!" Jack said in mock outrage, while Merida, Flynn and Mavis laughed. "Hic…I'm warning you…you are_ so_ going to pay for that comment."

"What? I thought we agreed that I'd gotten used to having you around?" Hiccup said innocently and shrugged, pretending to not understand the problem. In moments like this, he realized just how much he loved their sarcastic, condescending banter…it was_ so_ much fun.

"Yeah, but you should never compare someone _this_ awesome to gross bodily stuff, you stupid Viking."

"Then maybe you shouldn't be so damn cocky, Snowflake. You're practically begging me to take you down a peg." he shot back.

"It's not being cocky, if it's true, you know." Jack replied and smirked at him.

"Sure, Jack…_sure_."

After a little more bantering, Jack began cleaning up the mess the prank had left, before starting on a new batch. Of course Hiccup offered to help him get it done quicker, but his pale friend told him that he could manage just fine, so Hiccup went back to his own cauldron and finished brewing the potion. As it turned out, he and Fishlegs both made perfect batches, as did their four Gryffindor friends. Mavis focused on helping Merida, while Jack quickly caught up now that he didn't have to keep an eye on the red-head too.

After Potions, he, Flynn, Merida and Jack said goodbye to Fishlegs and Mavis and made their way towards Defense against the Dark Arts. After a quick walk through the corridors, talking eagerly and shooting sarcastic remarks at each other, they entered the familiar classroom and took their seats.

As he sat in the large, old room with his three friends, he was briefly lost in his own thoughts again. He and Fishlegs had planned on practicing some fighting later, as they did a couple of times a month. It was essential to keep up their skills and they both really enjoyed it too, because despite the pain, it made them both better fighters and it was also nice to blow off some steam that way once in a while. Also…it sort of reminded them both of home, where they regularly did that kind of thing with the other teens. Even though Hiccup had always preferred weapons training (mostly because he loved using the weapons he had made himself), it was necessary for a Viking to have experience with fighting without weapons and Fishlegs was a great training partner. However…they had had to cancel it, since Hiccup had to take it easy for the rest of the day after having phantom pains.

"Earth to Hiccup, what's going on in there?" Jack suddenly said and knocked on the side of his head a few times, interrupting his thoughts.

"I was just thinking…" he told his white-haired friend and turned his attention to him.

"No kidding. Once again, you're like…completely lost to the world. What were you thinking about?" Jack asked him, tilting his head in that familiar way of his that indicated curiosity.

"That it's too bad me and Fishlegs had to drop practice later." He explained and shrugged.

"Oh? I didn't know you had planned that."

"What kind of practice?" Flynn asked, training his brown eyes on him.

"Fighting." Hiccup replied as he met the eyes of his brunet friend. Jack was the only one of the Gryffindors who knew that he and Fishlegs did that once in a while, though he hadn't really told his white-haired friend much about it.

"You and Fishlegs practice fighting?" Merida instantly interjected, sounding quite excited about that.

"Yeah, we kind of have to…you know, to maintain our skills." He explained to the red-head.

"That is so cool!" Merida exclaimed happily and her blue eyes lit up. Flynn and Jack both chuckled, while Hiccup observed her with a warm smile. He really liked her enthusiasm.

"Thanks I guess?" he told his curly-haired friend.

"Maybe I could see you guys practice sometime…or you could give me some lessons?" Merida asked eagerly with her blue eyes a little wide, almost seeming ready to squeal with joy. She really_ would_ make a great Viking, since she was getting so excited over this, Hiccup thought to himself.

"Uhm…I'm not sure if that's such a good idea" he replied uncertainly.

"Why? You're uncomfortable having an audience?" Merida asked him, tilting her head a little, causing that massive mane of wild curls to sway just a bit.

"Not really, it's just…this isn't like the time you saw us play around with wooden swords. This is a lot more serious." he explained, gesturing with his hands.

"What do you mean?" Jack asked, furrowing his forehead a little.

"It gets…pretty violent."

The three Gryffindors watched him in silence for a few moments, their eyes conveying the surprise they felt inside, and he could tell that they had a little trouble fully comprehending what he was telling them.

"Are you saying that…you and Fishlegs actually…_beat each other up_?" Flynn asked in disbelief.

"Uhm…yeah, kind of?" Hiccup said sheepishly. He knew it was _not _a normal thing to do for people here, but they were Vikings…it was normal for them to practice like that.

"Why do you do that?" Flynn then asked in curiosity, leaning forward a little in his chair.

"What do you mean?" he asked the brunet Gryffindor.

"Like…why do you have to _actually_ beat each other up just to practice?"

"Because practice is supposed to prepare you for the real thing…" Hiccup began to explain. "If we're just smacking each other around a little but not _actually_ getting hurt, then how is_ that_ going to help us, when we're being kicked in the stomach or punched in the face in a _real_ fight?...The more you get used to it, the better. We're Vikings, guys…we _need_ to be prepared for that kind of thing."

"That makes sense." Flynn replied and nodded.

"Do you and Fishlegs have any rules when you practice?" Jack asked in curiosity.

"Only three: no broken bones, no permanent maiming and nothing in the groin."

"Geez Hic, why even bother then? You might as well just braid each other's hair and pick wildflowers." Jack replied with a challenging smirk, obviously trying to bait him. Merida and Flynn both snickered at that comment.

"Oh really, _Snær Flekkr_? I don't think _you _would last long in one of our fights." he told Jack and raised an eyebrow.

"Oh please…" Jack said dismissively and waved one hand a little, as if banishing Hiccup's objection. "I could defeat you both with one hand tied behind my back."

Merida and Flynn both chuckled at that.

"You think so, huh?" Hiccup replied with an amused smile tugging at his lips.

"I _know_ so."

"Jack?"

"Yeah?"

"How much experience do Fishlegs and I have with fighting?"

"Quite a lot?"

"Yes…so…Maybe you can see why it wouldn't be the_ best_ idea to challenge us?"

"That's just a minor detail, Hic. _No one_ can beat a ninja."

"For the hundredth time Jack, you are _not_ a ninja." Hiccup told his pale friend, but was unable to keep a smile from quirking his lips. He had lost count of how many times Jack had insisted that he was a ninja or had "ninja reflexes" or "the stealth of a ninja" or some other variation of that theme.

"You know, Hic…denying the truth doesn't change it." Jack told him with one of those amused smirks.

Hiccup rolled his eyes in response and shook his head.

"How often do you guys fight?" Merida then said, observing him with genuine curiosity in her blue eyes.

"Usually about…twice a month, depending on when we feel like it."

"Aren't you walking around with bruises all the time then?" Jack asked, furrowing his forehead, indicating that he didn't like that idea at all.

"No, we make sure to get some healing potion, which helps the bruises heal faster, so they're usually gone in a few days." He explained to his three Gryffindor friends.

"Does Rapunzel watch you fight then?" Merida asked him.

"No…I mean, she's seen it a few times, but she prefers not to watch it, because she doesn't like to see us getting all bruised."

"Well, _I _would like to see that." Merida grinned. "Pleeeeeease, Hiccup. Can I come sometime? And can I get some lessons?"

"I don't know…." He replied hesitantly, briefly considering the pros and cons.

"Pleeease" Merida said and it was so unusual to hear her say that word that it spoke volumes of just how much she wanted him to say yes.

"Wow, Hiccup…I don't think I've _ever_ heard Curly use the P-word more than once." Flynn said with an amused smirk and Jack chuckled.

"Shut it, Rider." Merida said and narrowed her eyes at him.

Hiccup sighed. "If it's okay with Fishlegs, then…I guess you can come next time." he told the red-haired Gryffindor.

"Great!" she said, her blue eyes conveying the joy she felt within.

"Yeah, well…we're coming too then." Flynn said and motioned to him and Jack.

"Uhh…what's that now?" Hiccup asked them.

"Come on Hic…if the evil Scot gets to see Viking fighting, then so do we." Jack said.

Hiccup sighed once again. "Fine, fine…you can all come then."

~~~~ Jack ~~~~

Jack and his friends had really been looking forward to this Defense against the Dark Arts lesson, as they were all excited to learn what their Patronuses were. That is…if they would actually manage to cast them properly.

The first half of the class consisted of another lecture on Dementors and Patronuses which he was very interested in. However, he couldn't stop himself from glancing at Hiccup once in a while. The brunet seemed to be getting more and more tired. After all…he hadn't gotten much sleep and he had been exhausted already from dealing with the phantom pains. Despite his tiredness though, Hiccup had still managed to participate a little during the class, raising his hand a few times to answer professor Bunnymund's questions, although with less enthusiasm than usual.

As Jack tore his eyes off Hiccup, his attention was drawn to Flynn, who was taking out a new sheet of parchment and beginning to write on it. It quickly became apparent to Jack that his friend was _not_ writing notes, so due to his natural curiosity he leaned over and observed the words being written on the page. Flynn was writing a flirty note to Ashley, who was sitting by the table next to theirs and who he had been interested in for a while and flirted with a few times. Jack smirked in amusement, as his eyes glided over the message. Geez…Flynn really _was _smooth. He knew exactly how to get girls to swoon.

Flynn eyed professor Bunnymund, clearly waiting for a good moment to send the note towards Ashley, but their stern, Australian professor didn't turn around for quite a while. Jack smiled when Flynn sighed as a show of impatience, but then the blue-haired professor turned his back to them to illustrate something on the blackboard. Flynn quickly enchanted the note to make it fly towards Ashley, but almost as soon as the little piece of paper had taken off and was floating through the air, professor Bunnymund chose to turn around, so Flynn instantly broke the spell. The note glided downwards and landed in Hiccup's hands.

Jack was already chuckling, as Hiccup unfolded the note and read the words. A tiny ghost of a smile tugged at the brunet's lips, revealing his amusement, as he grabbed his quill and wrote something on the note. When professor Bunnymund focused his attention on the blackboard again, Hiccup made it fly back to Flynn.

As Flynn unfolded the note, Jack leaned in and watched the words written on the paper.

_"__Look Flynn…You're a great guy, but I'm only interested in friendship…Thanks for the comment on my 'kissable lips' though. I guess it __is__ one of my best features."_

Jack and Flynn both almost choked on their own laughter and professor Bunnymund spun around and sent them a stern look, so they immediately tried to get it under control. Jack looked at Hiccup and gave him a bright smile, and Hiccup's lips quirked in amusement.

When professor Bunnymund continued his lecture, Jack did his best to scribble down some notes on this, because it was a fairly complicated subject. When he had finished writing a particularly long sentence down, he turned his head slightly and looked at Hiccup again. The brunet was too occupied with writing down notes at a fast pace and listening to their professor to notice. Not that that was unusual…the more he found himself observing Hiccup in class, the more he discovered just how little attention Hiccup usually paid to his surroundings when he was in class, because he was so focused. Jack smiled a little to himself, as he continued to watch the Ravenclaw, who was now biting his bottom lip, something he had a habit of doing whenever he needed to concentrate.

Suddenly he could see Flynn lean in next to him in his peripheral vision.

"You know, Jackie…if you keep staring at him like that, he might _actually_ begin to notice." his friend whispered to him and then leaned back again.

Jack instantly broke his focus on Hiccup. He definitely did _not_ want the Viking to notice. He looked at Flynn who was smirking a little now at his flustered reaction.

Jack did his best to focus on only listening to their professor's lecture and _nothing else _for the next 10 minutes. Then professor Bunnymund wrapped it up, and walked to the middle of the classroom, eyeing the students sitting around him.

"Okay. Now we're going to practice the Patronus charm. As I've told you before, it is a very difficult spell to cast, so not all of you will succeed today. We will practice it more in the following lessons, until everyone here has successfully cast a full-bodied Patronus. To cast a Patronus charm effectively you need to think of the happiest memory you can…and by the happiest, I don't mean the time you got to eat a whole cake by yourself or when you received a great Christmas present" their professor told them, making the last sentence sound quite stern to emphasize that this was not going to be as easy as some students may be expecting. "You need to think of a memory that fills you with genuine happiness and focus intently on that one memory…Now…pair up in groups of four and begin practicing and remember…if anyone casts_ any_ other spells, there's detention in it for you" professor Bunnymund reminded them and then crossed his arms.

The scraping of chairs and shuffling of shoes across the stone floor could be heard all around them, and Jack quickly got to his feet, eager to try to cast a Patronus. He knew it was probably more likely that he wouldn't be able to do it right away, but he was still excited about it. He briefly wondered what sort of animal would appear to him. He was quickly pulled out of his thoughts though, as he watched Hiccup slowly get to his feet. The guy seriously needed rest. Flynn and Merida also left their seats and the four of them walked a short distance away from their table to get some space.

"Hiccup, are you sure that you're not too tired for this?" Jack asked his friend softly, his gaze meeting the other teen's tired eyes.

"I'm fine, Jack." Hiccup said, but Jack managed to say it with him in unison. Hiccup lifted an eyebrow, and his lips quirked in a small smile.

"Come on Hic, that phrase is like your motto by now." he grinned, earning him an amused smile from the Ravenclaw. It was true though…If Hiccup belonged to some ancient noble family or something, their coat of arms would definitely be a Viking rolling his eyes and the words: "House Haddock: We're Fine". Jack snickered at the thought, causing Hiccup to shoot him a questioning look.

"I just imagined something funny." he explained, still laughing a little. Hiccup's eyes brightened slightly at that, and his lips twitched.

"Okay, are we going to do this or what?" Merida asked, rubbing her hands together, clearly eager to get started.

"Sure, you go ahead, Red." Flynn said and gave their red-haired friend a nod of encouragement.

"Okay." Merida quickly agreed, as she grabbed her wand from one of her pockets. Then she took a few deep breaths to prepare herself and held out her wand in a straight, extended arm.

"Expecto Patronum." she said confidently and did a flick with her wrist. Nothing happened though. She groaned instantly in disappointment.

"Expecto Patronum." she tried again, but still no white light appeared. She tried a third and a fourth time.

"Okay, next person" Flynn interrupted, causing Merida scowl at him.

"Fine Rider, you go" she said stubbornly and crossed her arms.

Flynn got his wand out from a pocket and held out his arm with the wand gripped tightly in his hand.

"Expecto Patronum" Flynn spoke and did a quick movement with his brown wand. No white light appeared. He waited a few moments before trying again, but it didn't work that time either.

Jack glanced at Hiccup as Flynn tried to cast the charm a few more times. The Viking boy was observing Flynn with interest but his eyes were dull from tiredness. Jack was hoping he wouldn't put too much pressure on himself now. Hiccup had told him that he would take it easy, but he had still been active in all his classes. He really needed some more sleep. Not that Hiccup would see it that way, he mentally snorted. The guy could be _incredibly_ stubborn sometimes but Jack had quickly learned that that was a Viking thing.

After several tries Flynn told Jack to try. Merida snickered in triumph and shot Flynn a gloating look.

"Yeah yeah, Red you couldn't do it either." Flynn told her with a smirk.

Jack took out his wand and held out the pale piece of yew wood with the phoenix feather core. He closed his eyes for a few moments and thought back to the time where he, Emma and his biological parents had been playing in the snow almost all day. They had been so tired and cold, when they'd come back inside, and they had snuggled up next to the fireplace with hot chocolate and cookies. Emma had fallen asleep on his lap, as they watched a Christmas movie together, and when his parents tucked them in, they both kissed his forehead and told him they loved him. That was a few days before they died. Jack took a few moments to just let the memory fill him like professor Bunnymund had said, and then opened his eyes.

"Expecto Patronum" he said and a white light briefly emerged from his wand but then disappeared before creating any shape.

"Wow!" Flynn said happily and practically beamed at Jack. "You almost had it, Jackie!"

"Yeah, that was awesome, Snowflake" Merida agreed and Hiccup hummed in agreement while watching him with a bright smile.

"Yeah, that was pretty close." he told his friends as a grin spread across his face. Maybe it wouldn't take him long at all to cast a real Patronus, and that thought filled him with anticipation and eagerness. He really really wanted to be able to do that.

"I'll try again." he told his friends, who all nodded in response with encouraging smiles on their faces.

He once again closed his eyes, thought of that particular memory, letting the pictures associated with it surge through his mind, as he focused even more intensely on it than before. He remembered the smell of hot chocolate…the warmth of Emma sleeping in his lap…the soft feeling of a kiss being placed on his forehead…the crackling and the warm glow from the fire…

"Expecto Patronum" he said in determination and opened his eyes. A white light once again appeared from the tip of the wand, slowly ascending towards the ceiling. This time it didn't disappear, but just kept drifting upwards to begin forming some kind of shape.

Merida and Flynn were gaping in shock, and after smiling at them, Jack looked at Hiccup. The brunet's green eyes were bright with excitement and…pride? Jack thought. He felt those damn butterflies flap violently in his stomach, and he forced himself to break eye contact with Hiccup and focus on his Patronus. He was _beyond_ happy and excited that he had actually managed to do it, and he felt his stomach tingling in anticipation to see what sort of animal would appear.

The whole room had now gone quiet, every student in the room observing the gentle, white light floating upwards and assembling itself into something.

His eyes widened as he saw the white light form into a gleaming, arctic fox that began to run excitedly around the room in the air, leaving long, wispy traces of white light behind it. He couldn't stop the bright grin that spread across his face as he watched his Patronus playfully dart around, rolling and jumping once in a while. Well, it fit his personality that was for sure.

"That's _definitely_ you." he heard Hiccup say in what sounded like an equal mix of affection and amusement next to him and he felt his grin widen even more.

"Well done, Mr. Overland. It's very rare for a student to cast a full-bodied Patronus that quickly." Professor Bunnymund spoke in a raised voice from the front of the class. Jack nodded his thanks at the professor. It was rare for him to hear praise from the stern DADA professor, and he felt a little surge of pride within him.

His Patronus then faded and disappeared, leaving only a few wisps of light, before they dissolved as well. He turned his attention to his friends once again. Merida and Flynn both still looked shocked, but they were currently recovering from it. Hiccup was observing them with amusement evident on his face.

"_How_ did you pull that off?" Merida asked in disbelief, and Jack couldn't stop himself from chuckling at her completely puzzled expression.

"I'm just_ that_ good" he replied, giving her an amused smirk and a cheeky wink. She groaned in response and rolled her eyes.

"That was wicked, Jack." Flynn said in genuine excitement.

"Thanks." he said with appreciation.

"Yeah, that was great." Hiccup agreed and Jack gave the Viking a bright smile in response.

"Your turn Hiccup." Flynn said and looked at the tired Viking boy in front of them. Jack seriously doubted that Hiccup could cast a Patronus right now…or any other demanding spell. He was very talented with magic, the best in their little group of friends, but his lack of rest would probably affect him right now.

Hiccup found his wand in one of his pockets. "Expecto patronum." the Ravenclaw said as he held out that dark cherry wand of his, but no white light emerged. He tried four more times but nothing happened. A look of disappointment crossed his face.

"My turn." Merida said, eager to get another go at the spell.

"No wait…one more try." Hiccup said, as if he'd come up with some idea that could help him. Merida nodded in agreement, a rare show of patience from her side, and Jack watched Hiccup curiously. The Ravenclaw closed his eyes for a minute as Jack had done himself before casting the Patronus. What was he thinking?

Hiccup then opened his green eyes. "Expecto patronum." he said confidently, and this time a white light emerged from his wand, drifting upwards. Jack's eyes widened at the sight, and Merida's and Flynn's jaws dropped once again.

All sound instantly died down in the classroom, everyone observing this new Patronus take form above them. The white light gathered itself slowly into a figure, while everyone watched in eager anticipation.

"You've got to be fucking _kidding_ me…" Jack said in surprise, as he watched the spell form a recognizable shape. "Your Patronus is a goddamn _dragon._" he continued in disbelief as the large white dragon began flying majestically around the room, once in a while opening its mouth to spew flames or let out a loud roar. It was…beautiful. The other students around them observed it with wide eyes or spoke to each in hushed, excited whispers.

He tore his eyes off the Patronus and met Hiccup's eyes. The Viking was now grinning triumphantly and his pure joy was shining in those vibrant green eyes.

"It would seem so." Hiccup said, unable to hide his bubbling excitement. Jack felt a bright smile creep across his own face at the brunet's obvious happiness. He liked seeing that look of pure elation light up Hiccup's face.

He turned his attention back to the white, soaring dragon as it flew past Astrid, who seemed captivated by it. She was following it with her gaze, a soft gentle look in those blue eyes and a faint ghost of a smile on her lips. She looked almost…proud? Jack thought…almost as if Hiccup had achieved something that she had known was inside him all along.

"That's like…fate or something." he heard Flynn say, still in slight disbelief. He turned his attention back to his three friends, as Hiccup's Patronus vanished, leaving only a faint trace of white wisps hanging in the air, before they slowly disappeared as well. A low buzzing of noise filled the room once again, as the other students began practicing the charm themselves.

"I doubt that." Hiccup replied with obvious skepticism in his voice.

"What are you talking about? You're a dragon trainer, the first one to _ever _train a dragon, and your Patronus is a dragon…That's hardly a coincidence?" Flynn argued and Merida hummed in agreement.

"No, it isn't…but the shape of the Patronus is significant to the caster, and since my best friend is a dragon and I deal with dragons all the time, of course they're important to me" the brunet Ravenclaw argued.

"Yeah, but it also says something about the casters personality." Merida said with a smile on her lips.

Hiccup shrugged at that, and Jack knew that she had him there.

"Face it Hic, you're part dragon." he said affectionately and nudged the other guy's shoulder, causing that familiar spark of electricity that made him feel warm inside.

The statement made Hiccup's face split into a huge grin.

"That's probably the _best_ thing you could have _ever_ said to me." the Viking said happily, his eyes gleaming with appreciation and Jack couldn't hold back the huge smile that spread across his own face. He _loved _that he had made Hiccup this happy, it practically made him feel bubbly inside.

For the remainder of the class, Merida and Flynn continued to try and cast their Patronuses, while Jack and Hiccup watched with great interest. A few other students in the room had managed to pull off the spell, and besides Jack's and Hiccup's Patronuses, they had seen a hummingbird, a crow, a cat and a red panda.

When there was about 10 minutes left of the class, Merida's wand let out the familiar white light and it floated upwards.

"Yes!" the red-head exclaimed in excitement and did a little jump, as she kept her eyes on the white light that was slowly turning itself into an animal shape.

"That's _very_ fitting." Jack said and Flynn quickly agreed, as they watched Merida's light take the shape of a large bear swinging its paws and roaring once in a while.

Their curly-haired friend was practically over the moon, as she continued to observe the large, white bear with joy in her eyes.

A little while later, Flynn also managed to pull of the charm, his Patronus taking the shape of a dolphin swimming around happily in the air, doing elaborate acrobatic jumps and making excited clicking noises. That definitely made sense too…dolphins were extremely social as well as joyful, adventurous, and protective. Just like Flynn, Jack thought to himself with a fond smile as he observed the Patronus do another air jump.

Jack suddenly spotted a Patronus running past him, leaving a mass of white traces in its wake, and he didn't even have to look to confirm who it belonged to. The proud lioness that was currently roaring towards the sky could only belong to a certain blonde Viking girl.

After Defense against the Dark Arts, Jack and Merida had Quidditch practice, so after a quick, excited talk with Flynn and Hiccup about all of their Patronuses, they went back to the Gryffindor tower to change into their red and yellow Quidditch uniforms, before the two of them walked towards the Quidditch pitch, engaged in even more eager conversation about the class they had just had.

Astrid turned out to be a true slave driver today, working them extra hard to prepare them for the match against the Slytherins. No one complained though, as everyone was eager to win and willing to put in a lot of effort to achieve that. Luckily it didn't rain today, which made it a lot easier to stay focused and pull off the drills Astrid had planned for them. Jack really enjoyed being in the air on his broom, doing awesome maneuvers and yelling taunts at Merida as usual. Astrid remained concentrated throughout their practice and expertly led them through different scenarios that they needed to be prepared for, and once again Jack actually found himself admiring her natural abilities as a leader.

He still found it a bit…strange to be around her though, since things were now a little tense between her and Hiccup. Well, tense wasn't the right word…more like…weird. However, he was also relieved that he had no reason to be jealous of her anymore. Hiccup didn't feel that way about her and that actually made him like Astrid better than he had before, now that she wasn't a threat to his friendship with the Ravenclaw.

After practice, he was not just sweaty and dirty from the intense training but also feeling sore all over, his muscles aching from use. Many people probably didn't know it, but Quidditch was actually a lot of hard work, especially when you had to go at it for hours.

After saying goodbye to the rest of the team, he and Merida walked side by side, brooms in hand, back towards their dormitories. Their sweaty clothes began getting cold and clingy on their skin from the chilly autumn wind, and while he wasn't that affected by it (as usual), Merida began shivering a little.

They made their way towards the castle with brisk steps, both eager to get out of their wet, sticky clothes and get a nice, refreshing shower. When they reached the castle entrance, a gentle drizzle of rain had begun, and Jack found himself grateful that it was only starting now.

They quickly walked down the corridors, eagerly discussing Quidditch strategy and their expectations for that rematch against the Slytherins. When they reached the common room and entered, they split up and headed towards their separate dormitories to get cleaned up.

As he was standing in the shower, the warm water softly trickled down his pale skin, making his muscles relax. He closed his eyes and leaned his head under the running water, letting it soak his snow-white hair and trail down his face, leaving its warm, gentle touches on the skin. Then he leaned his head back again, quickly rubbed his eyes to remove a little water that was irritating his vision and then began focusing on washing his body. He grabbed the bottle of liquid soap and squirted a little of the fluid into his hands, before rubbing them together, creating soft white bubbles. As he gently moved his hands along his pale skin under the pleasantly warm water, his thoughts once again wandered to a certain brunet Ravenclaw. Not that that was unusual...he was thinking about Hiccup almost constantly these days.

Even though he still enjoyed his friend's company immensely and wanted to be near him all the time, it was sometimes really difficult to be around him, because of those thoughts that kept popping into his head. Ever since Hiccup had turned Astrid down and Jack had been pulled out of his depression and gotten..._somewhat_ back to normal, he had begun to get these...urges. He had had plenty of thoughts about kissing Hiccup, holding him, running his fingers through his hair and such, since he realized how he felt about the Viking boy, but this was different. These new thoughts and sensations weren't _just_ about his feelings towards his brunet friend, but also about his strong attraction to him...like how he sometimes found himself thinking about what it would be like to just...let his hands slide under Hiccup's clothes and allow his pale fingers to glide across that smooth skin, touching and exploring every single part of the dragon rider.

He felt his heart beat faster at that thought. Geez...why did he have to have such a hopeless crush?...It was_ frustrating_ that he couldn't do_ anything_ like that_. _It left him feeling...tense and dissatisfied. As the warm water kept running gently down his skin, he couldn't stop thinking about what it would be like to just...corner Hiccup somewhere secluded and kiss him deeply over and over, their mouths melting together, the wet, warm, sweet sensation making them both lose their minds, as they eagerly pulled each other's clothes off. He looked down himself and sighed. Well, that was just great...now he would need to take care of..._that_.

When he had tended to his '_problem_', he finished his shower and then quickly dried himself off with a soft towel and began putting on some dry, clean clothes.

This wasn't the first time he had had this particular..._issue_ in the past two weeks. In the beginning he had just tried to ignore it, because he felt so embarrassed about it, but then...he began to give in. The first time he had done something about it, he had cringed so much afterwards and felt his face heat up from the utter_ shame_. He had been horrified that he had just done..._that_...by thinking of his friend.

He really shouldn't have been surprised that these new thoughts began to enter his mind more and more though. After all...he had feelings for Hiccup and he was a 17 year old boy filled with hormones. It only made sense, even though he still felt_ really_ embarrassed by it...but it helped him deal with his emotions as he felt a lot calmer afterwards, because he was no longer quite as frustrated.

At least that was something.

~~~~ Hiccup ~~~~

TIME SKIP: A FEW DAYS LATER

He had a headache and felt quite tired as he was making his way towards the Ravenclaw tower to change out of his school robes and into something more comfortable. He was meeting his friends by the lake, and he was really looking forward to being around them and getting some fresh air. Both of those things would definitely help with his headache and fatigue.

It had been a nice although fairly uneventful day today, and his last class had been Building, Managing and Repairing Magical Objects which he loved as usual. He had stayed a while after class and worked on the bow he was crafting for himself. He was almost finished with it and he was really looking forward to practicing archery side by side with Merida, where they could both shoot at the same time instead of taking turns. Now that he knew that Astrid and Merida both had weapons successfully hidden here, he didn't hesitate to have one too. It would be nice to have the option to just retreat into the forest and fire arrows, if he needed to get his mind off something. It was soothing for him just like sketching was.

As he walked down the corridors among a lot of other students, either on their way to more classes or finally enjoying some time off after a long day, a lot of people greeted him, waved at him and smiled. He returned the greetings politely, even if the attention still made him uncomfortable. It was true what his snow-haired friend had said a few days ago. It seemed that ever since he had begun hanging out with Jack and his friends his popularity had increased even more.

When he turned a corner and continued along another passageway, a person suddenly stepped in front of him, stopping him dead in his tracks. He observed the girl who had interrupted him and recognized her although he didn't know her name. From the look of her school robes, she was a Slytherin, and she was quite pretty, with pale skin, long, wavy dark brown hair and green eyes. Hiccup remembered having seen her around in classes and such, but had never had anything to do with her.

"Hi Hiccup." she said with a friendly smile. He still wasn't used to people knowing his name. It took him by surprise every time.

"Uhm…hi." he replied, shifting his weight from one leg to the other.

"Sarah." she said and smiled, having obviously picked up on the fact that he didn't know her name.

"Nice to meet you." he said politely, although it wasn't quite true. Sure, she seemed friendly but…he really wasn't too fond of being approached by strangers.

"How are you?" she asked, observing him curiously with those quite green eyes, as she adjusted her bag to hang more comfortably on her shoulder.

"I'm okay." he replied casually and shrugged.

He _definitely _wasn't. Quick emotional status update: how was he feeling? Awkward? Check. Anxious? Check. Self-conscious? Check. Great…so just like _any _other time this sort of interaction had ever happened. _Ever_.

"Can I ask you something?" Sarah said and a smile tugged at the corners of her lips.

No.

"Yeah, sure?" he ended up saying. He wasn't rude after all. He was just hoping that it wouldn't be about dragons…or himself…but that was a slim chance.

"I was wondering if you'd like to go out with me some time? There's a trip to Hogsmeade this weekend, so if you want, we could spend some time together?" Sarah asked rather confidently. She didn't seem shy or nervous like most girls who approached him these days.

Unlike Sarah though, he was _definitely_ feeling shy now. No matter how many girls passed him notes, smiled at him or asked him out, he would_ never_ get used to it and that feeling of self-consciousness and embarrassment would _never_ cease to pop up in these situations.

"Uhmm…" he said hesitantly. "Thanks…you seem like a nice person, but…I'm not really looking to date right now." he finished and gave her a small smile, doing his best to let her down gently.

"Oh…okay." Sarah said, obviously disappointed by his answer. "Well…if you change your mind, come find me." she then told him and smiled warmly, before winking at him and turning around, walking away down the corridor.

He felt a blush creep into his cheeks. Girls should_ never _be allowed to wink at him…that was like…one of the ultimate awkwardness triggers.

He looked at Sarah walking away for a few moments, before pulling himself out of his own weirdness. Just as he decided to continue on his way to the Ravenclaw tower, he heard a familiar, very angry voice behind him.

"Haddock."

He sighed and turned around to face McGowan. What did _he_ want? He was already feeling the annoyance swirl inside him, because he now had to deal with this jerk. That was never good.

McGowan was standing a little distance away from him with Levin by his side as usual. The large Gryffindor's body language was very tense. His fists were clenched, his eyes were narrowed and his forehead furrowed. Hiccup had obviously done something to piss him off, but what? They hadn't even interacted in any way since that potions class on their first day of classes after the summer and thank Thor for that.

"What?" Hiccup asked impatiently, crossing his arms in a defensive manner. He didn't want to play games and he didn't care about being polite in this situation.

McGowan took a few steps towards him, slowly and menacingly. Hiccup wasn't intimidated though and he kept his cool, neutral facial expression in place.

"Why were you talking to Sarah?" McGowan demanded to know, his voice laced with annoyance. The large guy was observing him with those narrowed eyes that were currently filled with anger.

Ah, okay…

Great…jealousy._ Just_ what he needed. A large brute of a guy with a temper problem, who apparently thought he was hitting on the girl he liked. Well…this encounter just got unpredictable…if there was something that could make people lose their mind it was jealousy…and revenge.

"She came over to talk to me." he explained calmly, not breaking eye contact with the big guy in front of him. He _refused_ to back down first. He hadn't done anything wrong.

"You stay away from her, Haddock. I'm not kidding." McGowan spat and crossed his arms.

"Okay…_not_ really a problem, since I'm not interested in her?" he replied casually and shrugged. McGowan could have Sarah all to himself. He didn't even know the girl, so why would he care?

"Do you think I'm stupid?" the large Gryffindor growled at him.

Yes. _Definitely_ yes.

Despite his thoughts, Hiccup chose to remain silent, not wanting to escalate the situation. As usual, he would try to stay calm. If there was going to be some kind of conflict, he was _not _going to be the one who started it.

The air was thick with tension between them, but Hiccup just watched the two Gryffindors with neutral eyes, waiting for them to decide if they wanted to move along or keep bothering him.

"Just don't _ever_ talk to her again, or we'll have a_ real_ problem." McGowan sneered, his nose wrinkling in disgust as he chased the quietness away.

Hiccup felt the irritation grow inside him at that moment. Of course he didn't plan on spending any time with Sarah, but he _really_ didn't like being threatened and especially not over something _this _stupid.

"And what if _she_ talks to me again? Is that somehow my fault as well?" he asked the large, annoyed guy in front of him and tilted his head a little in a questioning and irritated gesture.

"Look, it's very simple…you stay away from her or you get my fist in your face." McGowan told him and now his demeanor had changed. He practically seemed bored, as if he had made that kind of threat a million times in his life…which he probably had. He_ was_ a bully after all…well known for bothering other students on a regular basis.

"You know…I'm my own person." Hiccup stated, remaining calm and collected, although his voice had taken on an icy tone now.

"Are you seriously giving me shit right now? Are you_ that_ stupid, Haddock? Don't you remember what we did to you in our second year? Do you _really_ want that to happen again?" McGowan immediately spat, narrowing his eyes threateningly.

"I remember it _vividly_. I just don't appreciate being threatened." he replied coolly.

Hiccup glanced to his side and noticed that several students had now stopped in their tracks to observe his discussion with McGowan. Great…_Just _what he needed right now.

"Oh really?" McGowan sneered and then took a few more steps towards Hiccup in another attempt to intimidate him. It didn't work though. Levin was still standing a little behind his friend for obvious goon-support.

Hiccup still made sure to not break eye contact or back down in any way. He was_ so_ sick of dealing with these kinds of people for years now. They always thought they could just get anything they wanted through threats. Well, that was _not _going to work with him.

The adrenaline began shooting through his body, as he mentally prepared himself for what was probably about to come, if McGowan's body language was any indication. He could instantly feel the quick bursts of energy that spread through him, causing his heart to beat faster and his senses to become hyper-aware. His mind quickly flipped through different scenarios of how this could play out.

"Yes, really." he said icily, keeping his collected demeanor in place, although the adrenaline surges were making his body feel restless from the excess energy. He instinctually placed his feet so it would be easy to dodge an attack. If they were going to do something, he would be prepared for it.

McGowan's face contorted in rage and Hiccup's assessment of the situation was confirmed. Thank the gods that he was used to fighting people bigger than him. He would need that experience now.

The large Gryffindor lunged at him. A fist swung towards him. Hiccup jumped to the side. The punch meant for his face came rushing through the air next to his head in a blur of knuckles.

Gasps and hushed voices erupted all around him.

McGowan spun around and charged towards him. He attempted to land a blow on his head.

Drop to one knee. Jump to the side. Get up. Don't let him get close enough.

McGowan turned around, and Levin came lunging at him all of the sudden.

A fist came flying towards him. He jerked away to avoid a hard smack in the face.

Right after Levin had tried to hit him, Hiccup moved in and kicked him hard in the stomach. Levin had the air knocked out of him and stumbled back a little.

McGowan once again threw himself at him trying to get a hit in.

Hiccup sprang to the side and whirled around. Then a force from behind slammed him violently into the stone wall. A jolt of pain shot through his spine. McGowan turned around and planted a fist in his face.

The pain rushed through Hiccup's nose and cheek. He saw spots. His mind temporarily went blank.

He was grabbed by the shoulders, spun around and shoved brutally against the wall face first. Sharp jabs of pain rushed through his nose and mouth. Warm blood seeped from his nose, leaving a wet trail down to his chin. A familiar metallic taste spread through his mouth.

His mind refocused. He shoved his elbow backwards brutally into McGowan's gut, while stepping hard on one of his feet. The grip on his shoulders was instantly released.

He whirled around. A fist shot through the air heading for his face.

Hiccup ducked, air rushing through his hair.

Drop down. Grab his legs. Knock him off balance. Get him down.

McGowan crashed to the stone floor. The air was knocked out of him. A pained hiss escaped the large boy.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Levin moving. He turned. Levin moved his arm to start a punch. Hiccup quickly spun around the larger boy and then kicked him on the kneecap with full force. A cry of agony came. The large boy's legs wobbled.

Hiccup launched a fist hard on the guy's nose. A cracking sound. The feel of knuckles breaking hard cartilage. He kneed him in the gut, shoving his kneecap into the skin and organs. Levin stumbled backwards, gasping for air, his eyes wide and his legs even more unsure now.

A sharp pain spread through Hiccup's knuckles. His heart pounded in his chest.

The sound of footsteps.

He turned his head. McGowan had recovered and came towards him, his face scrunched in rage. He swung his fist and tried to hit him.

Hiccup ducked and the Gryffindor's fist met the stone wall instead. An angry, painful shout erupted. Hiccup wrenched himself upright and whirled around the large boy. He shoved McGowan brutally into the wall face first.

He glanced at Levin, who was now moving again. Before the Gryffindor could swing a punch or a kick, Hiccup planted a fist in the guy's face. More pain surged through his knuckles. Levin staggered back and swayed and his mouth and nose were bleeding, leaving crimson trails down his face.

Hiccup watched him for a few moments, waiting for the guy to make a move or give up. He didn't want to fight unless he_ needed _to. He was breathing heavily. His heart was beating incredibly fast. The adrenaline and the anticipation of more fighting streamed through his body.

"You fucking little shit" he heard McGowan say in disgust. He turned around. The big Gryffindor quickly closed the distance between them and lunged at him, eager to bash his face in.

Before McGowan was close enough to do anything, he surprised him by suddenly jumping towards him and then kicked him hard in the stomach. The large boy stumbled into one of the stone walls. Hiccup used this to his advantage. He shoved the guy into the wall once again, and then swept one foot behind McGowan's legs and knocked him off balance.

McGowan landed hard on his back and grunted in pain.

Levin had had time to pull himself together, while Hiccup dealt with McGowan. He came towards him. A punch was launched, aiming for his nose, but the guy's injuries left the fist less powerful. Hiccup grabbed the hand in a tight grip. He was fighting two enemies, he needed to incapacitate one of them. He pulled the fingers back in one forceful move. The sound of bones breaking filled the air. Levin howled in pain and slumped down on the floor instantly.

More gasps and scattered outbursts from all around him reached his ears.

"You broke my fucking fingers!" the Gryffindor shouted in what sounded like equal amounts of rage, pain and disbelief.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw McGowan getting up from the floor. After a brief moment of steadying himself, the large boy ran towards him, roaring in anger, his hand clenched tightly.

Block the punch. Shove him away with a kick.

The large boy took a few steps back, unsure on his feet, and then Hiccup saw the opening to end this. He sprang into action and kicked McGowan hard in the ribs. A loud, sickening cracking noise erupted. A pained scream escaped the large Gryffindor, echoing through the corridors. He instantly dropped to the floor like a limp puppet.

Hiccup glanced at Levin whose narrowed eyes and wrinkled noise was clearly conveying the rage he was feeling on the inside, but he was not moving to get up.

Hiccup took a deep breath and was relieved that this was over, although he really didn't like having to fight someone like this…and especially not in the middle of the goddamn hallways.

He was breathing heavily and erratically from all the fighting and his body was feeling sore, but the surges of adrenaline hadn't stopped coursing through his veins, so he was still restless and hyper-aware. The taste of blood lingered in his mouth and the wet sensation under his nose and from his lip to his chin told him that he probably had quite a lot of the crimson liquid on his face.

His green eyes quickly began to dart around his surroundings and took in all the students who had been watching his little…encounter with the two Gryffindors. They were now gaping at him in shock, some of them whispering to each other, other's just staring at him with wide eyes. He began to feel extremely self-conscious, as he was practically being _studied_ by all of these people.

"What on earth is going on here?!" professor Bunnymund's voice pulled him out of his thoughts, and he snapped his head towards the sound. The stern, Australian professor was standing next to some of the students with his arms crossed, eying Hiccup intently. He did _not _look pleased at all.

Hiccup sighed. Great…now he might be expelled because two jerks decided to attack him in the hallways.

~~~~ Jack ~~~~

After classes he and his three Gryffindor friends had gone to their usual spot by the lake. A blanket of clouds in different grey nuances was spread across the autumn sky, and the air was getting chillier each day, signaling the coming of winter, much to Jack's delight. His friends had all worn coats outside for a long time now, but Jack had only recently begun to put on his black jacket when he left the castle. Sure, he had a very high tolerance to cold, but he wasn't _immune_ to it and the temperature had dropped a lot in the last week.

As he sat on one of the blankets they always brought with them down to the lake, he and his friends were discussing the newest homicidal plant that Flynn and Mavis had had to deal with in herbology.

Suddenly Merida's and Flynn's heads snapped towards something, causing Jack's and Mavis' attention to be pulled towards that direction as well. A person was approaching them, running across the moist grass, brown jacket flapping in the wind. Jack instantly recognized Jim who was obviously in a hurry to get to them. He had no idea what to expect from this. What was going on?

When Jim was by their side, they all looked at him expectantly in silence, eager to hear whatever it was he had to tell them. The brunet was panting from running and took a few moments to catch his breath before he spoke.

"Guys, I think you should go find Hiccup." Jim told them quickly, still slightly breathless.

Jack instantly felt concern turning his stomach to knots.

"What? Has something happened to him?" He blurted out, unable to keep the worry out of his voice.

"Well" Jim began to explain, his eyes darting back and forth between them. "He was attacked by McGowan and Levin in the hallways, but-"

"What!?" all four of them exclaimed in unison, interrupting Jim, who shut up immediately. Jack felt the anger roil violently in his gut and he clenched his fists by his sides.

"_But_" Jim tried again. "Apparently he managed to take them down. The whole school's talking about it." He finished and now he almost seemed a little giddy by this.

Jack instantly turned his head towards Mavis, Flynn and Merida. "We need to go." he told them and they all nodded and quickly got to their feet.

The five Gryffindors ran towards the castle, wanting to get to Hiccup and find out everything that had happened. Jack asked Jim if he knew if Hiccup was okay, but Jim told him that he had no idea. Jack felt the hostility and the worry thrash inside him. He _really really_ hoped that Hiccup wasn't hurt…and if those idiots weren't expelled for this, then he would make damn sure that they _never_ touched him again.

When they reached the castle entrance, Jack stopped and turned to Jim.

"Do you have any idea where he is?" he asked his brunet friend.

"I heard that professor Bunnymund took him to see professor Lunar, so I guess he's at his office?" Jim replied.

Jack nodded. "Let's go" he told the others and they all walked briskly through the corridors towards the headmaster's office in silence. Jack's thoughts were swirling in his head and he was impatient to see Hiccup to find out if he was hurt.

They moved down more hallways and up more staircases until they reached the third floor. The familiar gargoyle entrance to the headmaster's office came into view, and as they approached, Jack spotted Rapunzel and Fishlegs waiting next to the entrance. He picked up the pace, eager to get to them and find out if they knew anything. His friends followed his increase in tempo.

Fishlegs and Rapunzel turned their heads towards them, when they heard them approach.

"You guys have any idea what happened?" Jack quickly asked the two Ravenclaws, when he and the others were standing in front of them.

"We heard from some other students that Hiccup was attacked and that he defended himself against McGowan and Levin." Fishlegs quickly explained.

"So you haven't seen him? You don't know if he's okay?" Jack asked, not bothering to hide the concern he was feeling on the inside.

"No." Rapunzel replied and her green eyes conveyed that she was just as worried as he was. "From what we've _heard _he isn't badly hurt, but we're not allowed to go in there." she added and glanced towards the entrance to the headmaster's office. "Apparently professor Bunnymund and headmaster Lunar are talking to Hiccup and some of the students that saw the whole thing."

"Do you know where McGowan and Levin are now?" Flynn asked the two Ravenclaws, voicing something that Jack also wanted to know.

"No." Fishlegs replied. Rapunzel shook her head to indicate that she didn't know either.

"They're in the hospital wing" Jim then said, causing everyone to turn their heads to look at him. "Apparently Hiccup hurt them _pretty _badly."

"Good." Jack said in satisfaction.

"Yeah." Merida quickly agreed.

"Did you guys know that he is like…good at fighting?" Jim asked them curiously, his eyes a little wide with excitement now.

Jack chuckled. "Yeah…we knew that."

Jim nodded. "Although I'm _pretty_ sure everyone's exaggerating…you know how it is with gossip. They're practically making him sound like some kind of ninja."

"He's not a ninja, Jim…he's a Viking." Jack told his brunet friend, and he felt a tug of affection in his chest as he said those words.

"Huh…Well, I never expected him to be able to do something like _that_…" Jim replied and now he had a thoughtful look on his face.

_'__There's always more' _Hiccup's words echoed in his mind.

"Trust me, Jim. He's full of surprises" Jack said and a fond smile graced his lips, as he briefly thought about all the times in their friendship when Hiccup had surprised him in some way.

The seven teens waited close to the gargoyle entrance for about an hour, trying to pass the time by talking, although they were all pretty impatient to see Hiccup for themselves. Jack and his Gryffindor friends were sitting on the floor, leaning against one of the stone walls, while Fishlegs and Rapunzel were standing in front of them, apparently not wanting to sit down. Jack and the other Gryffindors had taken their coats off and thrown them in a pile next to where they were sitting.

Suddenly their attention was pulled towards the gargoyle entrance, as that circular staircase behind it began to move and a very familiar brunet Ravenclaw descended the stairs.

"Hiccup!" Rapunzel exclaimed and immediately rushed to her friend's side with Fishlegs right behind her.

Jack quickly got to his feet, as did the others, and they all moved towards the dragon rider at a fast pace. As Jack took in Hiccup's appearance he felt a strong mix of anger and relief. Hiccup was obviously not seriously injured and he was very relieved by that, but a large, angry, dark red bruise marred the right side of his face, from under one eye to most of the cheek, he had dried blood caked under his nose and his lip was split, a fairly deep looking wound that appeared almost black with dark blood, leaving a red trail down to his chin.

Hiccup smiled fondly at Rapunzel and Fishlegs as they approached, but he immediately winced and hissed a little when Rapunzel threw herself at him and wrapped her arm around him.

"Sorry." Rapunzel instantly said, regret evident on her face as she took a few steps back. "What's wrong?"

Jack and his four friends had now also reached Hiccup and were standing in a sort of half-circle in front of him.

"I just…have some bruises on my back and you kind of…put a lot of pressure on them." Hiccup told her with a small smile, obviously to reassure the blonde girl that she hadn't hurt him too much.

"Sorry." Rapunzel repeated sheepishly and wrung her hands a little.

"Hic, are you okay?" Jack asked in concern, looking over the Ravenclaw for any injuries he might not have discovered yet.

"Yeah, I'm okay." Hiccup replied, sounding quite calm, as if this whole situation didn't really affect him that much. Fishlegs gave the brunet a gentle squeeze on one shoulder and Hiccup turned his head and gave the chubby Viking a small smile.

"I guess your theory that bullies were at least smart enough to not attack someone out in the open was sort of shot down, huh?" Fishlegs then told Hiccup.

"Yeah, well…usually they_ are_, but…jealousy makes people do insane, irrational things." Hiccup replied and then shrugged.

"Jealousy? What happened?" Jack asked, wanting to hear Hiccup's side of the story and get some answers.

"Some girl asked me out and apparently McGowan has a thing for her or something…I don't even know what the story is there…but anyway, after she left he began threatening me and telling me that if I ever talked to her again, he would bash my face in…I tried to keep myself calm but I told him that I don't like being threatened…so him and Levin decided to come at me." Hiccup explained, gesturing with his hands.

"Those jerks" Jack spat angrily and he narrowed his blue eyes a little. His friends muttered several annoyed words of agreement form all around him, everyone irritated that those idiots had bothered Hiccup.

"Yeah, they really are." Hiccup agreed and nodded.

"Well, we're really relieved you're okay Hiccup." Flynn said genuinely and all the other teens nodded eagerly to show that they agreed.

"Thanks." Hiccup replied, as he looked at Flynn with appreciation in his green eyes.

"You're not going to get in trouble because of this, are you?" Rapunzel asked Hiccup uncertainly, shifting her weight from one leg to the other.

"No." Hiccup shook his head. "There were a lot of witnesses and they told headmaster Lunar that it was self-defense. It seems like McGowan and Levin are going to get expelled though."

"About time." Jack said and Flynn quickly muttered a "Yeah."

"It's not the first time they've been starting fights…and it's always with people smaller than them" he added, remembering the times he'd seen them threaten other students or hearing that they'd been involved in a fight.

"I know." Hiccup told him, now sounding quite tired. He rubbed his eyes for a brief moment.

"What? You know?"

"Yeah..." Hiccup said hesitantly. Jack did not like where this was going.

"What are you not telling us?"

Hiccup sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose.

"I probably shouldn't have said that…anyway, you might as well know. Twice in our second year McGowan and some of his friends beat me up…and I _don't _mean like a single kick or punch, but _really_…beat me up."

"What?" Jack asked in disbelief, furrowing his forehead. He felt the anger swirl inside him, as he thought about what Hiccup had just told him.

"You heard me."

"How did they _not _get expelled for that?" Mavis asked, unable to keep the irritation out of her usually kind and gentle voice.

"They got some of their friends to cover for them and tell the professors that they'd been with them all night. There was no proof." Hiccup shrugged.

"Except for Hiccup's blood and bruises!" Rapunzel spat angrily, surprising everyone with her sudden hostile outburst, as that was very out of character for her.

Hiccup's eyes softened. "I'm fine now" he said reassuringly to his friend, while squeezing her shoulder gently.

"I know, I know…" Rapunzel said, sounding more resigned than angry now. Fishlegs gave Hiccup's shoulder a small squeeze, mirroring Hiccup's action towards Rapunzel. This caused the brunet to smile softly at his other friend. Jack felt renewed fondness towards Fishlegs and Rapunzel. They were great friends.

"There was actually blood?" Merida asked with a confused look. "How come no one saw or heard anything?"

"It was in an isolated place. I'd gone there to think some things over, and they sort of ambushed me".

"Cowards" Jack muttered angrily. He still felt the violent waves of anger and hostility crash inside him. It was a good thing that it seemed like they'd never have to deal with those morons ever again.

"Yeah, they were…" Hiccup agreed.

"Well, it's great that you managed to kick their asses now, Hic…Now people know not to mess with you." he told the brunet with a small smile.

"Yeah, that's good." Merida agreed and nodded.

"That's_ not_ good." Hiccup told them.

"What? Why not?" Jack asked, tilting his head a little. Why wouldn't that be a good thing?

"Now people know that I can handle myself in a fight, so if anyone _wants _to mess with me they'll be prepared for that…it's _always_ better to have people underestimate you."

Jack nodded. "That makes sense…" he told his Viking friend. He really didn't like that it made sense though, as that meant someone who might potentially bother Hiccup would know what to expect from him.

"How did you even manage to win, Hiccup? Those two are_ huge_." Jim asked in curiosity and with a smile on his face.

"Yeah, they're big guys…and they're definitely a lot stronger than me…but they don't have any real experience. All they've done all these years is beat up people smaller than them, who didn't know how to fight either." Hiccup explained.

"Yeah. The size of an opponent actually doesn't matter that much, if you have experience and they don't." Fishlegs said, gesturing eagerly with his hands.

"Well, it's impressive nonetheless." Jim told Hiccup with a certain respect in his voice.

"Thanks…although I wish it could have been avoided." Hiccup replied and Jack could see the conflicted emotions in his green eyes.

"Jim told us they're in the hospital wing. How badly hurt are they?" Merida asked, tilting her head in curiosity.

"Uhm…well, they're not _that _hurt, but they're definitely going to need some healing, because I broke a few bones."

"You broke bones?" Flynn asked in disbelief, expressing the surprise that Jack also felt inside.

"Yeah, well…they were two against one and much bigger than me, so I needed to incapacitate them somehow…it had to be enough to make them stay down."

"Well who cares if they're hurt?" Merida said and the other teens seemed to quickly agree. Jack understood Hiccup's conflicting emotions, but he also didn't care much about McGowan's and Levin's wellbeing.

"Come on guys…Even when it's in self-defense and they're jerks, I don't like actually hurting people, so…I did what I needed to end the fight but nothing more." Hiccup told them.

"Yeah, we know, Hiccup." Rapunzel said softly and words of agreement were uttered among the other teens.

They stayed there by the entrance to the headmaster's office for a little while longer, as they asked Hiccup more questions about what had happened. The brunet explained everything that occurred between him and McGowan and Levin, like how he'd gotten that bruise and the blood on his face. Jack felt incredibly grateful in that moment that Hiccup knew how to fight and defend himself…if he hadn't, he would be seriously injured by now instead of having the fairly limited damage he currently had. He still felt worried about him though…there was bound to be pain from all of this and once again in his life, Hiccup had had to deal with jerks who wanted to hurt him somehow.

~~~~ Hiccup ~~~~

As he slowly walked along one of the large stone hallways, feeling the bruises on his back protesting from any kind of movement, he thought about how he could definitely use some sleep right now, even though his mind was still kind of swirling with thoughts and images about the fight. McGowan and Levin hadn't left him a choice, but he still really wished that it could have been avoided. He didn't like fighting people when it was serious and not just practice.

He had let his friends know that he was going to get a change of clothes and then rest a little, as being in a fight had been exhausting. Now that he was calming down from all the adrenaline shooting through his body and the aftermath of the whole thing, he was sensing the tiredness taking over him. Many people didn't know that even a short fight would drain almost anyone, because of the combination of hard physical activity and adrenaline bursts that stresses the body.

He had left his friends by the entrance to headmaster Lunar's office. They were apparently going to spend some time together, probably by the lake as usual, and were beginning to head out, when he said goodbye to them and went in the other direction towards the Ravenclaw tower. He hadn't gotten far down one of the corridors though, before he heard a familiar voice behind him.

"Hic."

He stopped in his tracks and then turned around to face Jack, who was standing a little distance behind him.

"Yeah?" he asked his pale friend curiously, not really sure what Jack wanted, since they had just seen each other a few moments ago.

"You need to get cleaned up." Jack said, observing his damaged face with worry in his piercing, blue eyes.

"Yeah, I know…I'll take care of it." he told him and shrugged, not wanting him to be concerned. After all…the damage was minor.

"Come here…I'll help you" Jack told him with a small smile, motioning with his hand.

"That's okay, I can do it myself" he replied, not wanting to be a burden. After all…he'd cleaned his own wounds many times during the years, so it was no big deal.

"Hic, just…let me help you, okay? I want to do something to help." Jack said insistently, and Hiccup recognized that feeling from himself…whenever one of his friends was hurting somehow, he wanted to do something to help too…no matter how small a thing it might be.

"Okay." he replied softly and nodded a few times. If it would make Jack feel better, then he would let him clean his wounds, even though it wasn't really necessary.

A fond smile spread across Jack's face and Hiccup was happy that his white-haired friend was already feeling less worried, now that he had agreed to let him help him. It warmed his heart that Jack was _this_ concerned about him, and it reminded him that Jack really was one of the kindest people he knew.

"Come on." the pale teen said and motioned with one hand for Hiccup to follow him, as he turned around and began walking down the corridor.

He followed Jack along the hallway for a few moments, before they came to the door of one of the bathrooms. Jack opened the door and they both went inside. It was one of the larger bathrooms in the castle, with plenty of stalls, a few large stone pillars and a lot of sinks placed in a circle in the middle of the room. Behind the sinks, large arch windows let sunlight stream through, illuminating the room in a warm glow, making the fairly cold stone surroundings seem less dull and uninviting. Underneath the windows there were several low, stone window sills and Hiccup approached them and then sat down on one of them and pulled his legs up, sitting cross-legged.

He turned his head and watched Jack, who was standing by the sinks and had taken one of the little bowls the soaps were placed in. The white-haired teen removed the soap and rinsed the bowl under the running tap, before filling it with clean water. Then he carried the bowl towards the window sill where Hiccup was sitting, put it down and then walked away towards one of the little, brown cupboards in the corner of the room, where the bathroom supplies were stocked. He opened it and pulled out some tissue paper, before closing it again and approaching Hiccup.

Hiccup watched as Jack placed himself in front of him on the low stone windowsill, also sitting cross-legged. Jack met his eyes and Hiccup smiled softly at his friend even though the action hurt a little due to the damage on his lip. Jack ripped out some of the tissue paper from the packet, crumbled it into an uneven ball and dipped it slightly in the water in the small bowl.

Jack scooted a little closer and then extended his arm towards him with the paper in one hand. Hiccup felt the wet, paper leaving cooling touches on his skin, as Jack slowly began to scrub gently under his nose to remove the dried blood that had caked there. The Gryffindor went through several of those wet, crumbled pieces of paper, forming a small pile of red stained paper next to them, before he had successfully cleaned all the blood off from under Hiccup's nose.

"One down, two to go." Jack told him with a gentle smile on his lips.

Hiccup nodded in response and returned the smile. Despite the fact that this wasn't really necessary, it was a nice, heartwarming gesture that Jack was cleaning him up. It spoke volumes of how close they'd really grown and how much Jack cared about his wellbeing.

Once again the white-haired teen pulled out some paper, crumbled it and then dipped it in the cold, clear water, before he reached out his hand towards Hiccup again and swiftly removed the trail of blood his split lip had left down to his chin. As Jack removed the paper again, the air coming into contact with the remaining water lingering on his skin, made him feel a little tingling chill.

Jack briefly got to his feet and grabbed the small pile of bloodstained paper next to them. He briskly walked towards the bin and threw them out, before once again placing himself in front of Hiccup. He took the packet of tissue paper again and pulled out more clean paper.

The only thing left for Jack to clean up was his damaged lip, which was an actual wound and not just dried blood. As soon as the Gryffindor placed a touch on the split lip, he winced a little because of the sharp sting from the wound.

"Sorry." Jack said apologetically, furrowing his brow in concern and temporarily retracting his hand.

"It's fine." he reassured his friend. After all, it was just stinging a little.

Jack nodded in response and then once again reached out and placed the cold, wet paper against his wounded skin. The stinging sensation was immediately back, but he restrained himself and avoided wincing, now that he was prepared for it. It wasn't that bad and he didn't want Jack to worry.

He scratched the back of his head a few times, while Jack removed the paper from his lip, to get some new, clean paper once again. They were going through quite _a lot_ of paper doing this.

Then Jack carefully leaned in towards him, his forehead creased in concentration, as he began meticulously cleaning the wound, doing it very slowly and gently, obviously to avoid causing him more pain. The pale teen bit his lip as a result of his focus on his current task and his blue eyes were observing the wound intently, as he continued to move the paper softly across it to rinse it.

When his friend leaned in even more to get a better look at the damaged skin, Hiccup realized just how close their faces were to each other. Jack had never been _this_ close to him before…

His heartbeat sped up rapidly and he stopped breathing for a few moments. Something fluttered _vigorously_ in his stomach, making nervousness and excitement flow through his entire being, as Jack continued to remain _so_ close to his face and placed soft, caring touches on his lip. This was so…strangely intimate and gentle. As he began breathing again, he inhaled and exhaled a little erratically, and some kind of anxious but bubbly anticipation began spreading inside him, making his entire body restless and nervous.

His heart beat faster and faster in his chest, and suddenly _all _he could think about was how _close_ Jack was to him and how easy it would be to just…get rid of that annoying distance between them and…

_What!? _His mind suddenly screamed at him.

His green eyes widened in sudden and anxiety inducing realization. No…no no no….not _that_…anything but _that_!

An anxious, sharp intake of breath from this shocking revelation drew his friend's attention.

"Sorry." Jack muttered, still focusing on cleaning his damaged lip, having apparently mistaken his panic as pain, which he was _incredibly_ grateful for.

He felt the anxiety churn inside him, spreading through his body, making the nausea rise inside him, invading his stomach with its uneasy, horrible presence. He sat still to not alert Jack that anything was wrong, even though his heart pounded so much in his chest from the stress of this epiphany that it threatened to jump right out…but he _forced_ himself not to react outwardly in _any _way.

His mind, however, was racing now. Scattered, confused, panicked thoughts whirled through his head at incredible speed, and he tuned out the feeling of Jack's touch on his wound.

How…_how_ had this slipped past his defense mechanisms without him even knowing? How could he _not _have seen this coming?

It all made sense now…

Gods, it was so_ obvious_! All those…_weird _moments with Jack, where he'd felt something that he couldn't quite explain but then just dismissed it as a result of his awkward personality…all those times Jack had touched him and it had left that comforting, lingering warmth…the way his heart would feel a tug of affection whenever Jack gave him one of those soft, caring smiles…the way he would feel all happy and warm inside whenever he heard his bubbly laughter…the way he wanted to be around him all the time…

The anxiety streaming through every cell in his body increased and the nausea in his stomach sank its claws even deeper into him.

Okay…

He _really _needed to calm down. _Now_. He needed to think rationally about this and he also couldn't let Jack see that he was currently having an inner freak out.

He closed his eyes for a few moments and just tried his best to relax and will the panic away. He focused on steadying his breathing to calm himself a little and opened his eyes again. Even though the confusion and the anxiety were still roiling inside him, he felt the panic lessen. It was a good thing that he was used to self-control…if not, he might have just run off right now to get as far away from Jack as possible.

His friend was still occupied with cleaning the blood away and apparently hadn't noticed the turmoil Hiccup was currently going through. Thank the gods for that! He_ really_ didn't need any questions right now...He had enough trouble with his _own_ thoughts.

He had no idea how to deal with this…

He began to wring his hands a little to keep himself occupied with _something_, while his thoughts were rushing through his mind and his heart was still beating rapidly as a result of this sudden realization.

The more he thought about it, the more he got a sinking feeling in his stomach.

This was _horrible_…this had the potential to completely _destroy _their friendship, if he wasn't careful. This was…_really _dangerous emotional territory.

_Why_ did this have to happen? This was…this was..._not _supposed to happen.

Jack had apparently finished cleaning his split lip without him even noticing as he was too occupied with the confused thoughts and feelings raging inside him. The white-haired teen leaned back once more, creating distance between them. Hiccup was incredibly relieved about that.

"Hey, are you okay?" Jack asked him, tilting his head a little and furrowing his brow.

No.

In no way whatsoever…in no _possible_ definition of the word.

"Yeah, I'm fine." he replied, making sure to keep his voice steady, covering up the anxiety that still hadn't subsided completely. He couldn't really meet Jack's eyes though. "I uhh…just…need some time to think." he finished honestly, but naturally Jack had no idea what he needed to think about. His friend was probably going to assume that it was about this whole fighting thing.

Jack nodded slowly in understanding, a small smile gracing his lips. Hiccup knew that just like Rapunzel and Fishlegs, Jack didn't like it when he isolated himself. Right now though, he didn't know what else to do…he needed to find _some_ way of figuring all this out…

"Okay…that's fine" his friend told him. "I'll see you later then, Hic".

Hiccup got to his feet quickly, eager to leave and be alone with this. He met Jack's eyes briefly.

"Yeah, see you…and…thanks Jack" he told him before turning away from him and walking briskly towards the door.

He hurried down several corridors as fast as he could without running, not looking _anyone_ in the eye or returning any of the greetings that were spoken to him. He just needed to get away from here. Right now. The more he thought about this new situation, the more horrible he felt inside, because of the hopelessness of it all.

As he made his way outside the castle from the main entrance, the anxiety had melted away and was replaced with sadness and anger bubbling inside him. He clenched his fists as he kept walking in a fast pace across the grass. He was _so _angry with himself right now that he couldn't even_ begin_ to describe it. His mind began to scold him, as it always did when he got that sting of self-loathing. This was an _awful_ situation and he had put _himself _in it.

Gods…really, Hiccup? Really!? that angry voice in his head said to him.

This is what you do? You let your guard down so much that something like this grows inside you!?

Sure, why not? I mean…it's not like you're the future leader of a Viking tribe and live in another country…and your life is just_ so_ easy and casual that you obviously need _more _complications in it, right?

Wrong!

How_ stupid_ was this? How could he have let this happen? He should have seen this sooner…should have done something to keep it away…should have kept up his walls somehow…

The _last _thing he needed was to have unrequited feelings for one of his closest_ guy_ friends and end up getting hurt. He did not need_ more_ hurt.

He should have broke-

He stopped that thought before finishing it.

Maybe…no…he couldn't have done that no matter what.

He sighed deeply to himself and continued to walk with angry, brisk steps towards the forest area around the lake. He had a specific destination in mind, and the longer he walked, the more the sadness and frustration built up inside him to the point where he thought he might actually explode from all these horrible emotions streaming through his entire being. His mind continued to yell angrily at him for letting this happen and he just…let the awful thoughts continue, because he definitely deserved _all of it_.

You couldn't just have feelings for Astrid or some other girl back home like a normal Viking, could you Hiccup? That frustrated voice said.

You just _had _to go and develop feelings for a_ guy_…who's not_ just_ straight and could never actually return your feelings, but who isn't even from the same part of the world or the same culture…By Odin, you really _are _an idiot. You've just opened yourself up to _more_ emotional damage. Well done.

You know…I thought you were supposed to be intelligent? Isn't that what you always comforted yourself with, whenever people called you useless and made you feel like you weren't even worth the dirt under their fingernails? That at least you were smart and observant…at least you had brains. Well, apparently you don't even have_ that_ anymore, since you weren't even aware of what was going on in your _own_ damn mind.

He reached the forest area and walked through the trees, the dried leaves and twigs cracking and snapping under his frustrated footsteps. After walking for about 10 minutes, letting his mind continue to fill him with horrible thoughts and clenching and unclenching his fists, he found the spot, where he and Merida practiced archery. He quickly located that hollow tree, where Merida hid her bow and her arrows, and he crouched down, took them out, walked a few steps away from the tree and immediately started to fire arrows into a nearby, large oak tree.

Every arrow launched from the bow and landing in the tree with a loud "thud" was a show of his hopelessness and depression and frustration and with each arrow he fired the amount of force he put behind it increased. Every time he drew the bow, his back protested from the use of muscles for this act, as he was still damaged from the fight, but he really could _not_ bring himself to care.

Gods, he was so stupid!

*Thud!*

This was just…

*Thud!*

Unbelievable!

*Thud!*

How was he even supposed to be around Jack now?

*Thud!*

This might actually ruin their friendship.

*Thud!*

This was going to _hurt_.

*Thud!*

This was going to complicate his future _even more_.

*Thud!*

*Thud!*

*Thud!*

*Thud!*

He wasn't sure how long he spent just firing arrows, retrieving them and then firing them again, but it had to have been over an hour, as it began to get dark in the forest. He put away the bow and the arrows in their usual place in the hollow tree and decided that after a quick stop by the dormitories to leave a note for Fishlegs and Rapunzel, he would head straight to Toothless. He was going to skip dinner…in fact, skip_ any_ social interaction for the rest of the day to just be around his best friend. He didn't want Fishlegs and Rapunzel to worry when they couldn't find him though, so he needed to leave them a note saying that he was okay but needed some time alone. He wanted comfort right now, but he did_ not_ want to be around people. As usual, he needed isolation to deal with his thoughts. It was a good thing that it was the weekend now…he didn't actually have to interact with Jack until Monday, unless he chose to do so…and right now…he wasn't at all sure that he would choose to do that.

As he walked past the Quidditch pitch and towards the castle, he began to feel the exhaustion seep into his very bones, making them feel heavy inside him. His whole body was tired, sore and aching from not just being in a fight earlier, but then straining himself even more by launching arrows for so long. He still didn't care though…At least physical pain was something that was…familiar…easy to understand and grasp…unlike the confusing emotions swirling inside him, making him feel sick to his stomach.

He had quickly made his way back to the dormitory and left a note on Fishlegs' bed, before returning outside again. Luckily he didn't meet anyone he knew on the way, which he was grateful for. He didn't have the energy to pretend that everything was okay right now.

A little while later, as he sat inside the cave with Toothless by his side, the Night Fury was extremely worried about him. Hiccup had made a small fire that the two of them sat by, and he had just stared into the bright, orange flames for a long time…probably hours…trying to make sense of all the thoughts whirling in his stressed out, tired mind. Toothless stayed patiently beside him, waiting for him to be ready to share his thoughts. Hiccup stroked him and scratched him once in a while, wanting to reassure his best friend a little, as he continued to attempt to understand those confusing feelings he was experiencing.

"Toothless, I have a serious problem…" he then sighed and rubbed his eyes with one of his sleeves. His scaly best friend observed him with deep concern in those vivid green eyes and let out a small, grumbling sound that indicated discontent.

"I've realized that…I like Jack…_a lot_. I have feelings for him." he told the Night Fury. It was so…strange and depressing to actually say it out loud. Somehow it made it more real.

Toothless' large green eyes narrowed slightly in confusion for a few moments, before he nudged Hiccup's shoulder, flattened his ears and let out a low, whining sound. Hiccup knew that he had understood and that he was conveying his sympathy and concern.

"Thanks bud….I have no idea what to do with this".

Toothless butted his muzzle against the side of Hiccup's head gently a few times as a reassuring gesture. Hiccup reached out his hands and stroked the black dragon a little, feeling those rough scales against his fingertips and taking comfort in the familiar act and the closeness of his best friend.

"It's just…how the _Hel_* am I supposed to handle this, Toothless? How am I even going to face him now? This is going to mess everything up…I think it might actually break our friendship, unless I find_ some _way of being around him." Hiccup explained.

Toothless sat down on his hind legs before tilting his head and letting out a specific warbling sound that Hiccup had come to know through the years as encouragement. He knew what it was Toothless was trying to tell him. In moments like this, he felt grateful for their close bond that always seemed to make them understand each other.

"I _can't_ tell him about it, bud…You know as well as I do, that we have to go back home….when I'm done with school here, we _need_ to go back to Berk."

The Night Fury let out a deep sigh to indicate that he indeed knew this but didn't like that it was complicating things for Hiccup now.

"This…these new feelings, they just…they _don't_ fit into that. It's not_ just_ a question of liking someone who will never like me back…I'm the chief's son, Toothless…I need to take over when my dad dies or decides to step down and…I'm supposed to find a girl to settle down with and have children to continue the bloodline….and…you and me are going to study dragons and explore the lands and help protect them…together. We _belong_ in the archipelago and Jack…he doesn't. He belongs _here_…in between the wizarding world and the muggle world…he has a family and friends that he loves and needs to stay with. He's not a Viking or a dragon rider."

Toothless continued to watch him with worry and sympathy evident in those green eyes that Hiccup knew so well.

"But…it's not like it really matters anyway, since he'll never see me that way…and that's probably for the best. At least that way only _one_ of us is hurting."

His scaly best friend let out a whine once again and then rubbed his head against Hiccup's shoulder a few times in a comforting gesture.

"Thanks bud…I can just imagine now how disappointed my dad would be, if he knew I have feelings for a guy."

He was fairly certain that his father wouldn't be very understanding. The most likely scenario would be that horrifying look of disappointment to reappear in his eyes, whenever he looked at him.

It was also likely that the tribe wouldn't want him as their next leader, if they knew the truth about his sexuality. Being bisexual or homosexual was a rare occurrence among the Vikings of the archipelago. In fact, Hiccup couldn't remember having ever met someone like that, except that boy who kissed him when he was 12. On the other hand…if there were someone, they would probably hide it from other Vikings. It wasn't that homosexuality was considered unnatural, but it wasn't exactly approved of either. A Viking was expected to settle down and produce children to help the survival of the tribe…after that, people were a little less judgmental, but if Hiccup continued to have feelings for Jack, he_ couldn't_ exactly just find someone to settle down with and have children with in good conscience.

He felt the approach of a serious headache, as he found himself dreading the future even more than he usually did. He rubbed his temples a little and sighed deeply to himself. He briefly looked at Toothless, who was still observing him with obvious concern, the flames of the fire reflecting in the dragon's caring, green eyes.

It seemed very likely that his sexuality _would_ probably become a problem sooner or later…especially if he ended up falling in love with a guy and wanted to settle down with him. Gods, he hoped that would never happen…Of course there was also a chance of him falling for a girl, but…it had been a long time since he considered a girl anything more than friend. The last one had been Astrid, when he was younger…by Odin, why couldn't those feelings just have lasted? Then he could be happy with Astrid now and that would just be _so_ much simpler than this…

He shook his head a little to himself and watched the dancing, crackling flames of the small fire for a little while, his dull green eyes filled with the hopelessness of this whole situation.

Shouldn't he have the right to be himself and be accepted by the people he loved? He hadn't even told Rapunzel and Fishlegs the whole truth about his sexuality, but he was certain that they would accept that side of him without hesitation. Wasn't it fair to expect the same from his own father? From Astrid? From Gobber? From all the other Vikings?

Hiccup hadn't been very comfortable knowing all these years that he_ could_ be attracted to guys. He had pushed it down into the darkest corners of his mind, trying his best to never let it see the light of day, because it was just too complicated to deal with. Now though…he couldn't push it down any longer…it was impossible to ignore it now that it had all come rushing to the surface like this. He_ definitely_ had feelings for Jack…his heartbeat quickened and it felt like dozens of tiny tiny Terrible Terrors were flapping their wings inside him when he thought about that snow-haired guy who had become so important to him.

He placed his face in his palms for a few moments, taking comfort in the peaceful darkness. When he lowered his hands and lifted his head again, he sighed to himself.

He was a logical, rational person. He knew that Jack would never see him like that, but even in the _impossible_ case that Jack for some _strange_ reason returned his feelings, they could never be more than friends…They had different directions in life that they needed to follow. The thought hurt him, made his stomach almost bubble over with nausea and deep sadness, but he needed to be realistic about this. Hope was a dangerous thing and it could drive people mad, so he needed to squash _any_ stupid thoughts about him and Jack possibly being together and just…find some way of dealing with this and move on.

As he kept watching the flames in the small fire, he thought about the future. Once they graduated, he'd see less and less of Jack. Sure, they could write each other and visit, which he really hoped they would, but it wouldn't be the same as now. He felt his stomach clench tightly at the thought and the depression sank it's sharp, horrible claws deeper into him, as the nausea intensified and swirled unpleasantly inside him.

He cared _so _much for Jack…until today, he hadn't realized just _how_ much but he wanted to be near him all the time. Jack made him feel…_happy_…and happiness just wasn't something that Hiccup had had a lot of in his life. That pale white-haired Gryffindor brought so much laughter and joy and fun into his days that it brightened his life just to know him. Not to mention that…Jack was always there for him…always. Unconditionally. He was there by his side when he needed help or just company when the phantom pains crashed over him, he was there to listen and try his best to understand when something was bothering him even when he couldn't fully tell his pale friend everything about it, he defended him fiercely against anything that might bother him even if Hiccup could take care of himself, and…Jack was always there with supportive, caring words when he doubted himself or let the many years of people's condescending, horrible words still get him down once in a while…he could actually make him feel better about himself and the way Jack genuinely saw so many good things in him was heartwarming…

It would hurt him _so much_ when the time came for them to split up and not be a part of each other's life on a daily basis anymore. He would miss him beyond what words could really express, he knew that now. He felt a strong pang of sadness in his chest and his breathing became a little strained for a few moments.

He pulled his knees up and wrapped his arms around them, still staring at the dancing flames intently, as thoughts of that pale snow-haired boy wouldn't leave his mind, no matter how much he tried to stop thinking about him.

It was true what he had told Jack a few days ago, when he had helped him with his phantom pains. He really was _amazing._ He lifted the spirits of everyone he knew with his cheerful, child-like personality, his infectious smiles, his bubbly laughter and his playfulness, always able to make people laugh or cheer them up whenever life had knocked them down. He was fiercely loyal and protective of everyone he cared about, not ever hesitating in protecting them against anything that might potentially hurt them and always being supportive no matter what. He was incredibly kind and caring even to people he didn't know very well, and was always ready to help anyone who might need it. He just wanted everyone around him to be comfortable and happy, which was _such_ a heartwarming trait…He was confident and comfortable in his own skin, able to talk to _anyone_ and make them feel good about themselves, no matter if they were one of the popular kids or an outcast…and he was smart and quick-witted as well, able to shoot those hilarious retorts back in Hiccup's face when they were bantering.

And then…there was his past, where he was emotionally damaged from the day he had rescued his sister but lost his parents and the guilt and grief of their deaths still haunted him. As a result he was doing everything he could to be the best big brother he could possibly be to Emma.

It was no wonder that he had developed feelings for the guy…he really was incredible. Hiccup wouldn't change a single thing about him and that thought was actually a little frightening….of course he knew that no one was perfect, but in his mind…Jack was closer than anyone would_ ever_ get.

Toothless had lied down on the ground and lifted one of his wings up. Hiccup knew what that meant and he appreciated the comforting gesture from his best friend. He got to his feet and approached Toothless, before lying down next to him against his side. Then Toothless lowered his wing, shielding him from the rest of the world.

As Toothless wing lowered above him, the darkness took over and somehow he found the lack of light a little comforting right now. He felt the warmth radiate off Toothless' side as he lied next to him and felt grateful that at least he had his scaly best friend to always be there for him no matter what.

"I love you bud." He told Toothless and he heard a warbling sound from the dragon in return.

As he lied on the ground, lost in his own thoughts, one thing was clear. He could never be with Jack, no matter how much he wanted to, so he was going to have to suffer in silence. At least he was good at that. He knew that he could do it, despite how horrible it was. He was just going to have to…find a way of being around Jack without ever telling him about this or somehow show it…He just had to pretend, like he had done so many times in his life…push down the pain and pretend that everything was fine. At least that was familiar.

He felt a few tears stinging in the corners of his eyes and his vision went blurry, but he quickly willed them away. He absolutely _refused_ to cry, no matter how much the depression and hopelessness was crashing its waves inside him…no matter how much it felt like he had a huge hole in his heart…no matter how sick to his stomach he felt that he might screw up his friendship with Jack…

Crying would hurt the small amount of pride he_ did_ have, despite his bruised ego. He really didn't need tears reminding him how weak and vulnerable he was right now. At least he could cling to that…that he did _not_ cry.

All those horrible things people had told him over the years somehow echoed in his mind. He sighed deeply. He was such an _idiot_ to have put himself in this situation.

"Do yourself a favor Hiccup…don't _ever _let someone new in again…It just brings you pain." he muttered to himself as he continued to lie under his best friend's wing in the darkness, trying desperately not to think about that snow-haired boy but failing miserably.

** Author's note:**

So...let the mutual pining begin! :P

I was so excited about letting Hiccup kick some ass and show off his fighting skills in this chapter, and I hope you liked it :) Obviously he's not some kind of super-human, so he got damaged too before he managed to take down two enemies bigger and stronger than him by using his experience :) Now...I've never written a fight before and I haven't been in a real fight myself, but I tried my best to make it realistic and I hope you think I succeeded in that.

Regarding their patronuses, I chose an arctic fox for Jack, because they're playful and mischievous, energetic and obviously his patronus would also have to be something living in cold conditions among snow and ice. Hiccup's patronus couldn't be anything BUT a dragon in my opinion, so that one was fairly obvious :)

Hiccup has a very different emotional response to realizing his feelings than Jack did and this is for several reasons. 1) He doesn't have anyone kissing the guy he likes right in front of him, threatening to take him away just as he realized his feelings for him...like it happened with Jack. 2) Hiccup already knows that he can be attracted to guys (unlike Jack who thought he was straight), he has just pushed it down for so long, because it doesn't really have a place in his future as a Viking leader. 3) Hiccup has self-esteem issues as a result of his troubled past where everyone always told him he was useless. Because of that, he tends to blame himself a lot and that's the reason why Hiccup reacts with depression AND anger towards himself, while Jack sank into depression but didn't do the whole self-loathing thing. 4) Hiccup inititally panics when he realizes his feelings, but he quickly manages to calm himself down enough to appear somewhat normal to Jack and make an excuse to get away from him to think about it all. He is a logical, rational person who is good at picking thoughts and feelings apart and analyze them, and he is also used to self-control. For those reasons, he is able to quickly realize that he needs to calm down and then get away to be able to just sit down and think.

*Hel: The underworld in norse mythology and also the name of the keeper of the underworld, who is Loki's daughter. Hel should not be confused with the Christian idea of hell, as it's not a place of punishment and suffering. It's a place where everyone goes when they die, except for the few who die honorably in battle. They are brought to Valhalla to dine at Odin's table every night and fight every day...in other words, the perfect afterlife for a Viking.

Regarding Vikings and homosexuality, their relationship with it was a bit more complicated than it is in this story...Vikings didn't actually mind homosexuality, BUT...it was considered extremely shameful to be the submissive part in a sexual relationship with another man. That isn't how it's going to be portrayed in this story. I decided to take some liberties with it, since there are also other areas where the Vikings in this story (and in the HTTYD movies) are different, like the fact that they don't have slaves, which the Vikings did have.

So...what did you think? :) As always reviews = love.


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